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Gaza / Humanitarian crisis · Public record

Flooding inundates 70,000 tents sheltering displaced people in Gaza

Heavy rain on Nov 7 flooded about 70,000 tents sheltering displaced people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run government media office. Civil defence teams received more than 1,500 calls for urgent assistance but are operating without equipment or capabilities.

What happened

Heavy rain on Saturday, Nov 7, 2026, flooded about 70,000 tents sheltering tens of thousands of displaced people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run government media office. The flooding occurred on the first day of rains. The office also noted the collapse of dozens of cracked walls and roofs, which caused injuries, some critical, in various areas of the territory.

Since early Saturday, hundreds of displaced families have been seen fleeing camps in parts of Gaza City and in the central and northern areas of the Strip after they were inundated by rainwater. Civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said his teams received more than 1,500 calls during the night from residents requesting urgent assistance after their tents were flooded. Bassal said the agency is operating without any equipment or capabilities.

Bassal issued an urgent distress call to the international community and humanitarian organisations to intervene immediately to save hundreds of thousands of displaced people from the flooding of their tents. He said the agency cannot face the consequences of this storm on its own.

Context and restrictions

A fragile ceasefire came into effect on Oct 10, 2025, after two years of war that erupted following the attack carried out by Hamas on Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Despite the ceasefire agreement reached with Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediation, the Israeli army continues airstrikes and ground operations on an almost daily basis.

Mustafa Qazzaat, a member of the Gaza city council and an official in the Strip's emergency committee, said Israel has not allowed prefabricated homes to shelter the displaced in Gaza since the truce was announced, and has only permitted the entry of limited numbers of tents. Qazzaat said Gaza needs 200,000 prefabricated homes urgently, in addition to the entry of heavy machinery to remove the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings, open main roads, and urgently provide electricity and heating.

A coalition of Palestinian civil society organisations, which includes dozens of local institutions and organisations, called for pressure on Israel to allow the entry of humanitarian aid without restrictions. The coalition warned of the catastrophe that has come to threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents, pointing to the risk of the spread of diseases and epidemics.

Who is affected

Tens of thousands of displaced people living in tents across Gaza City and the central and northern areas of the Strip were affected by the flooding. Um Muhammad al-Hersh, 45, who lives with her family in a tent in western Gaza, said the family was not able to save the mattresses, and all the clothes were soaked. She said their suffering is repeated every winter.

Maryam Odeh, 34, who lives with her children in Deir al-Balah, said she no longer knows how to protect her children. Her children ask her where they will sleep tonight, and she has no answer. Khaled al-Najjar, 41, said residents fear for their children not only from the flooding of the tents, but also from the cold and the widespread diseases.

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