(MENAFN) Tents sheltering displaced civilians in Gaza have failed to withstand the winter’s first raindrops, with some tearing apart entirely, leaving families exposed with no cover. The worn fabric that had served as their only shelter quickly turned into muddy pools, trapping children’s feet and soaking mothers who tried in vain to protect what remained of their bedding.

As heavy rain fell, thousands of displaced families found themselves in a new struggle against the storm, compounding the hardships they have endured over the past two years amid starvation and repeated Israeli attacks. With no proper infrastructure, scenes spread across the camps of families stacking stones and sand to raise sleeping mats off the ground, while others searched for any dry corner to shelter in after the downpour.

Earlier on Friday, rainwater swept through hundreds of tents and shelters, worsening an already dire humanitarian situation that has accumulated over two years of war. Many families remain confined to narrow spaces behind what is known as the “yellow line,” after Israel prevented them from returning to homes destroyed during the offensive. This line, established in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas on October 10, separates areas under Israeli military control in the east from areas where Palestinians are permitted to move in the west.

Israeli forces reportedly target Palestinians who approach—even without crossing—the line in areas where movement is otherwise allowed.

Displaced families face catastrophic conditions due to a lack of basic necessities, difficulty accessing essential supplies, and a severe shortage of vital services under the ongoing Israeli blockade. Most rely on worn-out tents for shelter. Gaza’s government media office estimates that approximately 93 percent of displacement tents are no longer habitable, affecting around 125,000 of the 135,000 tents.

Among those affected, Abu Alaa, an elderly Palestinian man whose home in northern Gaza was destroyed, said he does not know what to do after his tent flooded. “The tent and the bedding are full of rainwater,” he explained, adding that he now needs a new tent and shelter, as he has no other place to go. Similarly, Mohammed al-Jarousha, facing severe financial hardships, cannot afford plastic sheeting to cover his canvas tent, which quickly filled with water during the storm.

“We were flooded by the rain. We need solutions,” he said. “We lived through a genocide, and now we are living through another one. No one is paying attention to us despite the tragic situation we are in.”

For Sabir Qawas, whose two-year-old daughter has cancer, the storm brought even greater hardships when their tent collapsed. He said he is now living on the street, unable to afford a replacement tent, and no organization has offered assistance. Over nearly two years of war, tens of thousands of tents have been damaged by Israeli airstrikes or destroyed by extreme weather conditions, including intense summer heat and strong winter winds. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 69,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,000 others.

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