A powerful winter storm sweeping across the Gaza Strip has caused widespread destruction, killing one Palestinian woman and leaving several members of her family injured, as thousands of tents sheltering displaced people were destroyed or flooded.
According to medical sources cited by Anadolu Agency, the victim, a 30-year-old woman, was killed in the Al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City when the wall of a building previously damaged by Israeli airstrikes collapsed onto her tent.
Torrential Rain and Strong Winds Devastate Displacement Camps
Heavy rainfall and strong winds, ongoing since last night, have toppled and flooded thousands of tents housing internally displaced Palestinians across Gaza.
In the southern city of Khan Younis, hundreds of tents erected along the coastline were inundated after high sea waves, intensified by a low-pressure weather system, swept into displacement areas.
Displaced Civilians Face Growing Risks
The extreme weather conditions pose a serious threat to displaced civilians, many of whom are living in fragile tents or severely damaged buildings following repeated Israeli military strikes since October 2023.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that winter storms dramatically increase the risk of death, injury, and disease among displaced populations, particularly women, children, and the elderly.
Human Toll of the Ongoing War
Since October 2023, more than 71,200 Palestinians — mostly women and children — have been killed, and over 171,200 wounded, according to local health authorities, as Israel’s military offensive continues to leave entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.
The storm has further deepened the humanitarian crisis, compounding shortages of shelter, food, clean water, and medical care in the besieged enclave.
