Gaza Herald —From Monday evening through Tuesday, Gaza was once again plunged into intensified suffering as a powerful weather depression unleashed heavy rains that flooded the tents of displaced families. The downpours compounded the already catastrophic conditions faced by hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living without adequate shelter, amid widespread destruction and prolonged siege.
War-Damaged Buildings Turn Deadly Under Heavy Rain
The storm turned fatal on Tuesday afternoon when a residential building previously weakened by Israeli airstrikes collapsed near the Hamid junction west of Gaza City, killing one Palestinian and injuring several others. The home, which belonged to the Abu Hasira family, gave way under the weight of relentless rainfall, trapping its residents beneath concrete and debris already compromised by months of bombardment.
Gaza’s Civil Defense said rescue teams, supported by military medical services, rushed to the scene in the Beach refugee camp, where crews worked for hours to pull the injured from the rubble and search for a person still reported missing. Officials warned that the collapse highlighted the lethal risk posed by thousands of structures damaged during the war but still being used as shelters due to the lack of alternatives.
Similar tragedies unfolded in other parts of the city as the storm intensified. In the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, a house belonging to the Abu Al-Qumsan family collapsed after heavy rainfall overwhelmed a structure already weakened by earlier Israeli attacks. Elsewhere, in Tel al-Hawa southwest of Gaza City, several displaced Palestinians were injured when a wall collapsed onto a tent, underscoring the extreme vulnerability of families living in makeshift shelters.
Local authorities cautioned that these incidents are not isolated, but part of a wider pattern emerging across Gaza, where war-damaged buildings, flooded tents, and crumbling infrastructure are turning seasonal weather into a deadly threat for civilians already displaced and exhausted by months of siege and destruction.
Warnings of an Unfolding Humanitarian Disaster
The severe weather has further overwhelmed Gaza’s collapsing health system. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, said emergency and operating rooms were flooded by rainwater, while hospitals saw a sharp rise in children and patients with chronic illnesses seeking care due to the cold and harsh conditions.
Municipal officials warned that the situation is deteriorating rapidly. Yahya Al-Sarraj, head of the Union of Gaza Strip Municipalities, said the new storm arrives while residents are still reeling from previous weather systems, amid massive infrastructure destruction. He noted that the absence of safe shelter, heating, and fuel has left emergency crews struggling to respond, as shortages prevent the operation of machinery and water-pumping stations.
Ismail Al-Thawabteh, Director General of Gaza’s Government Media Office, said Israel’s continued violations and evasion of humanitarian obligations have turned extreme weather into a direct threat to civilian lives. UN-linked organizations have echoed these concerns, warning that hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are at risk of flooding, disease outbreaks, and further loss of life as construction materials and shelter supplies remain blocked.
As storms continue to pound the besieged enclave, Gaza’s displaced population remains caught between relentless weather and an ongoing humanitarian collapse, with no safe refuge and no meaningful relief in sight.
