'Everything is Soaked': Winter Rains In Gaza Bring New Misery for Palestinians

In the shadow of two grueling years of conflict, the onset of winter has unleashed a cruel new torment on Gaza's displaced Palestinians, with relentless rains transforming makeshift tent cities into sodden quagmires. On Tuesday, November 25, children and families in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah scooped frantic handfuls of muddy water from their flimsy shelters, desperately salvaging the scant possessions that survived the war—blankets, clothes, and cherished family photos now sodden and ruined.

Assmaa Fayad, a mother of three huddled in a central Gaza camp, watched helplessly as the storm battered her family's tent, collapsing sections and flooding their sleeping mats. "All tents were destroyed," she cried out, her voice laced with exhaustion and fury. "Where is Hamas? Where are the people to see this rain and how our children are drowning?" Nearby, 7-year-old Saja Fayyad joined the grim task, bailing water with tiny hands, her soaked clothes clinging as she helped her parents in the deluge. The United Nations humanitarian office reported that at least 13,000 tents have been damaged or destroyed in recent downpours, leaving thousands exposed to the biting cold and health risks from contaminated floodwaters.

This seasonal scourge compounds the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where over a million people—roughly half the population—remain crammed into the territory's southern half, beyond Israeli military lines but still under blockade. Israel's restrictions on aid imports have blocked vital shelter supplies, including tarpaulins and insulation kits sufficient for 1.3 million, according to UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, who decried the situation as "misery on top of misery."

In al-Mawasi, a coastal enclave sheltering half a million, families like Sabah al-Breem's have resorted to salvaged wood and tarps, only to see them collapse under wind and rain. "Everything collapsed... All our belongings were soaked," Breem recounted, her shelter failing twice in one night.

Despite a ceasefire that halted daily clashes, sporadic Israeli strikes continue in response to alleged Hamas violations, while Palestinians voice bipartisan blame: Israel's aid curbs and Hamas's October 2023 attacks that ignited the war.

Overcrowding, poor sanitation, and scarce clean water exacerbate fears of disease outbreaks, with community health workers like Mohammed Madhoun warning of worsening conditions in flooded camps. Aid agencies are scrambling to repair stormwater drains and distribute emergency kits, but prices for basic tents have soared to $800—unaffordable for most in a war-ravaged economy where food and medicine remain luxuries.