Heavy Rains Flood Gaza’s Displaced Camps Amid Intensified Israeli Strikes

Translate In Arabic

Gaza: On Monday, heavy rains flooded the tent camps of displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, compounding the suffering of communities already devastated by over a year of conflict. The downpours, which occurred overnight, inundated tents and, in some areas, washed away the makeshift shelters used by displaced Gazans. Many of those affected have already been uprooted multiple times during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants.

Suad Al-Sabea, a mother of six from northern Gaza, now lives in a classroom at a school in Khan Yunis in the south, where she sells bread to make a living. The rainwater spoiled her flour and damaged her wood-fuelled oven, putting her livelihood in jeopardy. "The dough drowned in water, and many mattresses drowned in water. It was raining on top of my head and I kept baking to provide for my children," she said. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warned that half a million people are at risk of flooding, with conditions worsening with each new rainstorm or airstrike. "The situation will only get worse with every drop of rain, every bomb, every strike," the agency posted on social media.

Meanwhile, Israeli military strikes intensified across Gaza, particularly in the southern and northern parts of the enclave. In Rafah, an Israeli airstrike killed at least four people, while seven others died in the Jabalia area from separate airstrikes. Israeli forces also dropped leaflets on Beit Lahiya, ordering residents to evacuate to the south as the area was set to be attacked. Since the conflict began, Israeli attacks have killed over 44,200 people, mostly civilians, and displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza at least once.