Heavy rain floods 70,000 tents in Gaza, leaving tens of thousands without shelter

Heavy rain has flooded 70,000 tents belonging to displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, damaging thousands more shelters. The downpour and strong winds that began late on Friday tore through the makeshift homes of displaced families in several areas of Gaza.

The Government Media Office in Gaza said 70,000 tents were flooded and dozens of walls collapsed. The Palestinian Civil Defence said it received more than 1,500 emergency calls after the storm, adding that over 2,000 buildings are at risk of collapse.

Reporting from Gaza City in northern Gaza, Al Jazeera's Ibrahim al-Khalili said the makeshift tents many Palestinians have been forced to live in do not provide adequate shelter from harsh weather. He said that in just a few hours, heavy rains and strong winds tore through shelters families had spent days trying to reinforce.

Al-Khalili said he saw soaked mattresses, pillows and clothes. According to his report, nearly 400,000 displaced Palestinians are sheltering in locations considered highly vulnerable to more flooding.

Reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Al Jazeera's Ashraf Abu Amra said displaced families whose shelters were flooded had not received food aid since early Saturday.

Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF special representative in Palestine, said the majority of people are living in terrible conditions, and called for more funding to provide much-needed aid.

Gaza's Government Media Office said the storm caused damage estimated at $3 million. But relief organisations have been struggling for years to bring in relief and support.

Gaza's Civil Defence said at least 300,000 tents are needed to provide adequate shelter for displaced people affected by the weather conditions.

The flooding comes amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as Israel continues to impose severe restrictions on aid supplies to the war-ravaged territory.

Israel's war, which began on October 7, 2023, has devastated homes and infrastructure in Gaza, and continuing restrictions on aid, shelter supplies and reconstruction materials have hampered relief efforts.

More than 74,640 people have been killed since the war began. Since a ceasefire took effect in October 2025, Israel has killed at least 1,610 Palestinians.

Displaced families now fear even harder conditions as winter approaches. Relief agencies say the crisis will deepen unless shelter and food aid arrive quickly.