Deadly floods swamp tens of thousands in Gaza (VIDEOS)
At least four people have been killed after heavy rain flooded displacement camps in Gaza, with the UN blaming Israeli restrictions on aid for exacerbating the disaster.
Heavy rain and strong winds, unusually intense for early November, battered Gaza for several days, causing floodwaters to sweep through makeshift camps and tents. The disaster killed at least four people, including three children and two women, with an infant feared drowned after a sandy embankment collapsed onto tents at Al Berka Reservoir west of Deir al-Balah.
Scale of devastation
According to Gaza's Government Media Office, around 70,000 tents were flooded within 12 hours. The UN separately recorded more than 6,000 family shelters destroyed and 17,400 damaged. UNICEF reported that approximately 950,000 displaced Palestinians live in flood-exposed areas, including 400,000 at extremely high risk.
The devastation was worsened by the aftermath of over three years of Israeli bombardment, which destroyed or damaged 82% of structures in Gaza, forcing Palestinians into flimsy tents. Israeli attacks also ruined drainage and sanitation infrastructure, with UNICEF noting not a single wastewater treatment plant is operational.
Aid restrictions blamed
The UN humanitarian team stated that the damage was caused "not by the storm alone, but by policy decisions," accusing Israel of obstructing essential supplies and access to safer ground. The agency noted that more than 150,000 tents were waiting outside Gaza for delivery, with UNICEF reporting it sought Israeli approval to bring in repair equipment for over a year.
The damage was mainly caused 'not by the storm alone, but by policy decisions.'
International criticism
Even the US-backed Board of Peace criticized Israel's handling of the crisis, warning that delays in approving shelter, sanitation, and drainage equipment "exacerbated the consequences of a foreseeable humanitarian challenge." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the accusations, claiming "Hamas alone is responsible for the suffering of the people of Gaza" while noting Israel facilitated the entry of more than 91,000 tents and thousands of truckloads of winter supplies.
The disaster also sparked disturbing reactions from some Israelis, with weather forecaster Tzachi Peleg expressing "happiness" over images of submerged tents and social media user Elad Huminer mocking the disaster, writing that Palestinians who wanted the 'Al-Aqsa Flood' received the 'Gaza Flood.'
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