Palestinians reel under winter rains as Israel blocks Gaza shelter supplies

Palestinian families telephone for assistance arsenic Israel’s two-year subject battle has near hundreds of thousands vulnerable.

Cold temperatures and dense rainfall person worsened already dire conditions for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian families crossed the Gaza Strip, arsenic Israel continues to artifact deliveries of tents and different captious structure supplies to the besieged territory.

Humanitarian groups person been informing for weeks that Palestinians surviving successful structure camps and different makeshift shelters bash not person what they request to withstand blistering wintertime conditions successful the coastal enclave.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3‘Trip of suffering’: Gaza evacuee details 24-hour travel to South Africa
• list 2 of 3More details look of Israel’s ‘brutal’ attraction of Palestinian detainees
• list 3 of 3Gaza’s aesculapian students assistance wellness strategy decimated by Israel’s war

Many person been forcibly displaced aggregate times arsenic a effect of Israel’s two-year bombardment of Gaza, which damaged and destroyed much than 198,000 structures crossed the Strip, according to United Nations figures.

“I person been crying since morning,” a displaced Palestinian parent of 2 told Al Jazeera from Gaza City connected Saturday, pointing to her family’s tent, which had been flooded arsenic a effect of dense rainfall overnight.

The woman, who did not supply her name, said she was struggling to supply for her children aft respective members of her family, including her husband, were killed successful Israel’s genocidal war, which began successful October 2023.

“I americium asking for assistance to get a due tent, a mattress and a blanket. I privation my children to person suitable clothes,” she said. “I don’t person anyone to crook to … There is nary 1 to assistance me.”

The UN and different humanitarian groups person urged Israel to assistance each restrictions connected assistance to the Strip, wherever much than 69,000 radical person been killed successful much than 2 years of Israel’s war.

But the Israeli authorities has maintained its terrible restrictions connected the travel of humanitarian assistance contempt a ceasefire woody with the Palestinian radical Hamas that came into effect connected October 10.

Aid groups said earlier this period that astir 260,000 Palestinian families successful Gaza, totalling astir 1.5 cardinal people, were susceptible arsenic the acold wintertime months approached.

‘Misery connected apical of misery’

At the aforesaid time, the UN bureau for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has said it has capable structure supplies to assistance arsenic galore arsenic 1.3 cardinal Palestinians – but cannot bring them into Gaza owed to the Israeli restrictions.

On Saturday, UNRWA main Philippe Lazzarini said deliveries were much captious than ever arsenic this wintertime coincides with Gaza’s displacement crisis.

“It’s acold and bedewed successful Gaza. Displaced radical are present facing a harsh wintertime without the basics to support them from the rainfall and cold,” helium said successful a societal media post.

Describing the humanitarian toll arsenic “misery connected apical of misery”, Lazzarini noted that Gaza’s fragile shelters “quickly flood, soaking people’s belongings”.

“More structure supplies are urgently needed for the people,” helium added.

Reporting from az-Zuwayda successful cardinal Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary besides said galore Palestinians person nary different enactment but to stay successful flooded and flimsy tents since their neighbourhoods were destroyed by Israel and shelters are full.

“Parents are incapable to [buy] their children wintertime clothes, shoes and slippers,” she said. “Families are near helpless, without knowing what to do.”

Late connected Saturday, the Israeli subject fired flares successful areas southeast of Khan Younis city, sources successful confederate Gaza told Al Jazeera. Armies mostly motorboat flares to item force positions and bespeak incoming attacks.

Earlier, Israel launched aerial strikes wrong Gaza ceasefire’s “yellow line” demarcation adjacent Khan Younis arsenic good arsenic Gaza City successful the north.