(MENAFN) Dozens of tents sheltering displaced families have been swallowed by floodwaters in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Civil Defense authorities reported Sunday.

For three consecutive days, Gaza has endured a severe weather system bringing bone-chilling cold, relentless rain, and powerful winds. Meteorological forecasts suggest the worst will pass by Sunday evening.

Ferocious winds have torn through thousands of tents—collapsing or scattering them entirely—leaving vulnerable families exposed on the streets. Many have been forced to seek refuge in bombed-out buildings that threaten to crumble at any moment.

In an urgent statement, Gaza Civil Defense issued renewed warnings about the "risk of destroyed, structurally unstable buildings collapsing on their occupants" as heavy rain and winds continue to weaken already fragile structures.

"We have recorded a large-scale disaster caused by the storm that hit Gaza amid the massive destruction inflicted by Israel during two years of genocide," spokesman Mahmoud Basal said.

He made an emotional appeal to the international community to step forward and provide desperately needed relief to Gaza's Palestinian population.

"Every passing second brings more harm and pain to the Palestinian people."

According to the Gaza Media Office, 1.5 million Palestinians are currently displaced throughout Gaza, surviving in catastrophic conditions with scarce access to basic necessities and severely limited essential services due to Israel's ongoing blockade.

Israeli attacks have killed more than 69,000 people, mostly women and children, in Gaza since October 2023, leaving the territory in ruins.

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