70,000 tents flooded in Gaza as displaced Palestinians battle severe weather

Heavy rainfall across the Gaza Strip has flooded the tents of thousands of displaced Palestinians, leaving mattresses, bedding and blankets soaked as rainwater poured into makeshift shelters.

More than two million people have been affected by the war between Israel and Hamas, with much of Gaza’s population displaced and large parts of the territory reduced to rubble.

A reconstruction plan for Gaza was included in a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States last year, but little progress has been made. Israeli forces currently control nearly two-thirds of the territory, with Palestinian residents having also been ordered to evacuate certain areas.

According to Reuters, Gaza’s Hamas-run Government Media Office said on Saturday that at least 70,000 tents had been flooded by rainwater over the previous 12 hours, affecting large numbers of displaced Palestinians.

Gaza’s Civil Defence Service said it had received 1,500 emergency calls from displaced residents seeking assistance following the rainfall.

Three vacant and uninhabited buildings also collapsed, although no injuries were reported.

In a tent camp in Gaza City, displaced Palestinians struggled to protect their shelters and remove accumulated rainwater.

Some residents built temporary barriers using sandbags and piles of sand to prevent water from entering their tents, while several families were seen carrying children out of flooded shelters.