Israeli strikes hit tent camp as five killed in Gaza; UN appeals for tents after heavy rains

Israeli attacks have killed at least five Palestinians in Gaza, as the United Nations made an emergency appeal for waterproof tents to shelter hundreds of thousands exposed to flooding due to heavy rains. Wednesday's death toll is likely to rise.

An Israeli air attack on Wednesday killed 38-year-old Mohammed Salem al-Daash in the al-Sabra neighbourhood, south of Gaza City.

Another Palestinian was shot and killed by Israeli forces east of the al-Bureij camp in central Gaza, and another was killed in an Israeli drone strike in the al-Nasr neighbourhood, northwest of Gaza City.

At least two Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in a strike targeting a tent sheltering displaced people in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, north of Gaza City.

Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary, reporting from Gaza City, described the Israeli attacks as indiscriminate targeting of civilians, saying people who were carrying on with simple attempts to survive lost their lives, such as a man filling up a water tank who was killed in a drone strike. She said two brothers from the al-Absi family were killed while sheltering inside their tent on al-Jalaa Street, adding that nowhere in Gaza was safe.

The attacks came as the UN appealed for more tents to be sent to the enclave because at least 70,000 tents were flooded in weekend rains, according to Gaza's Government Media Office.

Heavy rain has directly affected at least 106,000 people in Gaza in recent days, according to UNICEF, with thousands of tents for displaced Palestinians submerged under water and latrines overflowing into camps.

NGOs and local organisations say they do not have the resources or capacity to deal with the crisis, as Israel continues to restrict the entry of essential aid.

"Ultimately, we need the Israeli authorities to cooperate with giving the permissions so that we can bring those tents in," UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters at a media briefing, adding that apart from funding, Israeli permits were needed to get the tents in.

Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said in a statement that certain countries supporting aid deliveries to Gaza say delivering winter supplies will have to wait for the formation of an Israeli government. He said foreign ministers have assured their support, "but also repeatedly said that progress would be hard until after Israeli elections. Now we're told to wait for the formation of a government."

"This is not an acceptable excuse," Fletcher added, citing international law and the consequences of delays, blockages and funding cuts.

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday that Rome has launched a new emergency initiative worth 5 million euros ($5.5m) to provide immediate assistance to the Gaza Strip following the flooding.

The death toll from the war in Gaza has surged to 74,653 civilians killed since October 7, 2023, medical sources told the Palestinian Wafa news agency on Wednesday. An additional 176,007 Palestinians have been injured in the past three years. Israel has killed 1,622 Palestinians and injured 5,878 others since the Gaza ceasefire agreement came into effect on October 11, 2025, according to the report.