Storm Floods Gaza Camps, Tens of Thousands of Tents Submerged

Heavy rain and strong winds hit the Gaza Strip, submerging around 70,000 refugee tents and leaving thousands of families without shelter. The storm began on Friday night and continued into Saturday, compounding the hardship caused by damaged infrastructure from the war.

The Gaza Government Media Office estimated initial storm losses at about $3 million. Extreme weather also demolished dozens of building walls, while a corrugated metal sheet was torn off by the wind.

“Thousands of families whose tents were damaged have no other place to shelter.”

Medical sources told Anadolu that five Palestinians were injured in several incidents during the storm. Two walls previously damaged by Israeli attacks collapsed, adding to the structural dangers faced by residents.

Gaza City recorded 60 millimeters of rainfall in 12 hours, equivalent to about 15 percent of the area's total annual rainfall. Strong winds blew away several tents and tore others, while rainwater flooded refugee gathering sites.

The city government received 250 reports concerning flooded roads, erosion, and clogged drainage channels. Officials warned that 270 camps and shelter sites in Gaza City are at risk of flooding, with drainage capacity reduced to only 20 percent due to war damage.

Gaza Civil Defense received 2,166 emergency calls since the storm began on Friday evening but could respond to only 218 of them. Spokesman Mahmud Basal said teams often had to guide affected families rather than reach them directly because of equipment shortages.

Hosni Muhanna, a spokesman for the Gaza City government, urged all crossing points to be fully opened so winter supplies, humanitarian aid, and heavy equipment can enter the Gaza Strip.