Heavy rains flood tens of thousands of tents in Gaza, aid response hampered by shortages

Heavy rain across the Gaza Strip has inundated tens of thousands of tents that house displaced Palestinians, flooding shelters, blankets and mattresses, local authorities said on Saturday. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office reported that at least 70,000 tents were flooded in the previous 12 hours, affecting tens of thousands of people and causing injuries, though no deaths were confirmed. The territory’s civil defence service recorded about 1,500 distress calls from residents, and three abandoned houses collapsed without causing injuries.

At a tent encampment in Gaza City, some residents attempted to repair their shelters while others used sand to reinforce the tents and keep water out. Children were being rescued from flooded tents, and one resident, Olfat Magdoub, described the situation as overwhelming, noting that this was only the first day of rain.

"This is the first day of rain, and of course we are already flooded. What will happen if it rains again the next day? This is only the first day and we’re already overwhelmed," she said.

Municipal and civil-defence officials said they were unable to cope with the storm because of fuel shortages and damage to equipment. They attributed much of the equipment loss to Israeli strikes that destroyed hundreds of vehicles, including bulldozers and water-pumping machines, during the ongoing conflict.

Hamas blamed Israel for preventing the entry of shelters and construction materials into Gaza. The Israeli military’s coordination agency for aid, COGAT, did not comment on the accusations but said it had increased efforts to improve sanitary conditions before the rain, working with international organisations. The agency noted that four additional vacuum trucks entered Gaza this week via the International Committee of the Red Cross, joining eight trucks delivered over the past month to support sewage pumping, waste removal and water-infrastructure repairs.

A U.S.-brokered ceasefire last year called for Gaza’s eventual reconstruction, but progress remains limited. Negotiators have not reached an agreement on Hamas disarmament or Israeli troop withdrawal, which continues to control about two-thirds of the territory.

"We have no resources, no tarpaulins, no tents and no one is checking on us," said displaced resident Rafiq Ghattas, standing barefoot in a large pool of rainwater.

Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 74,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict escalated after the October 7 attacks.