Residents of the Gaza Strip are bracing themselves for another bout of harsh winter weather, with heavy rain threatening the threadbare tents that have become home for hundreds of thousands of displaced people. The precarious living conditions come as international negotiators work to advance stalled talks on the next phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
A Daily Struggle Against the Elements
On Saturday, barefoot children were seen playing on cold, damp sand as families worked to fortify their temporary shelters ahead of forecasted downpours. In the central town of Deir al-Balah, many families reported having lived in tents for nearly two years, for the majority of the devastating conflict.
Fathers desperately tried to reinforce fraying tents with scraps of wood or patched holes in tarpaulins. Inside the dim interiors, tiny holes allowed pinpricks of daylight to shine through like stars. Mothers battled incessant dampness, hanging sodden clothing on poles and cords during brief breaks in the rain, which regularly turns pathways into muddy puddles.
"We have been living in this tent for two years," said Shaima Wadi, a mother of four displaced from Jabaliya in northern Gaza. "Every time it rains and the tent collapses over our heads, we try to put up new pieces of wood. With how expensive everything has become, and without any income, we barely afford clothes for our children or mattresses for them to sleep on."
Mounting Humanitarian Toll and Ceasefire Challenges
Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run administration, has reported that dozens of people, including a two-week-old infant, have died from hypothermia or after weather-related collapses of homes already damaged by war. Aid organisations are urgently calling for more shelters and humanitarian aid to be allowed into the besieged territory.
While emergency workers warn people not to stay in damaged buildings, the scale of destruction leaves few alternatives. "I collect nylon, cardboard and plastic from the streets to keep them warm," said Ahmad Wadi, who burns the materials or uses them as makeshift blankets. "They don’t have proper covers. It is freezing, the humidity is high, and water seeps in from everywhere. I don’t know what to do."
The fragile ceasefire, which took effect on 10 October, has largely held but its progress has slowed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington in the coming days as discussions continue. Key challenges for the next phase include deploying an international stabilisation force, establishing a technocratic governing body for Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, and further Israeli troop withdrawals.
Both sides have accused each other of violating the truce. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 414 Palestinians have been killed and 1,142 wounded since the ceasefire began. The ministry, which does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its counts, also stated that the bodies of 679 people were recovered from rubble during the same period, as the truce allowed for safer search operations.
The overall Palestinian death toll from the war has now reached at least 71,266, with another 171,219 wounded, the ministry said on Saturday.
West Bank Operation Following Deadly Attack
Separately, Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, announced on Saturday that a military operation was continuing in the town of Qabatiya in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. This action came a day after a Palestinian attacker rammed his car into a man and then stabbed a young woman in northern Israel on Friday afternoon, killing both.
Authorities stated the attacker was shot and injured in Afula and taken to hospital. The Israeli army has surrounded Qabatiya, the attacker’s hometown, and is operating "forcefully" there. Israel frequently launches raids in West Bank towns that attackers originate from, a practice it says helps locate militant infrastructure and prevent future attacks. Human rights groups describe such actions as collective punishment.
AP video from Saturday showed Israeli bulldozers entering the town and soldiers patrolling. "They announced a strict curfew," said resident Bilal Hanash, describing how main roads were closed with dirt barriers. "So basically, they’re punishing 30,000 people."
