Heavy rain in Gaza floods tens of thousands of tents and kills at least six
Heavy autumn rain and falling temperatures have worsened conditions for civilians in Gaza, where most people have been displaced repeatedly by the war and now live in tents, makeshift camps or buildings considered unsafe. Torrential rain over the weekend killed at least six people, including children, UNICEF said. Local authorities reported that around 70,000 tents were flooded, affecting more than 200,000 people.
Families described struggling to keep water out of their shelters and dry their few remaining possessions. In northern Gaza, mud made it difficult for residents to leave their tents, while children shivered in the cold after three days of rain. Aid teams have begun clearing blocked sewer lines and stormwater basins at 60 locations, a response expected to benefit about 30,000 families.
Relief efforts are constrained by the lack of safe space for relocation. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Israeli restrictions behind the so-called Yellow Line leave most of Gaza off limits. The war has destroyed much of the territory’s housing and infrastructure, and Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 74,600 people have been killed there.
The humanitarian emergency is unfolding amid stalled negotiations over Hamas’s disarmament and an Israeli military withdrawal. The US-backed Board of Peace, created under the October 2025 ceasefire to oversee Gaza’s future governance and reconstruction, has made little progress. A joint World Bank, UN and European Union assessment estimates that recovery will cost $71.4 billion over the next decade. The board has now said Israel’s preparations for winter remain inadequate and called for humanitarian and winter supplies to enter Gaza.
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