Winter Deluge Floods Gaza’s Muwasi Tent Camp, Exposing Dire Shelter Crisis

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Winter’s first heavy rains on Saturday sent torrents of water through parts of Gaza’s sprawling Muwasi tent camp, underscoring how the territory continues to suffer from flooding and shattered infrastructure more than two years into the war.

Residents dug shallow trenches and tried to divert water away from their shelters as intermittent rain that began Friday seeped through tears in tarpaulins and improvised tents. Sudden downpours soaked families’ meagre possessions, while strong winds threatened to topple fragile shelters and made gathering scarce food and supplies even harder.

“I spent all (Friday) pushing water out of my tent,” said Bassil Naggar, who bought a tent on the black market two weeks ago for roughly $712 after the summer sun thinned his previous shelter. “Water puddles are inches high, and there is no proper drainage.”

Barefoot children splashed in puddles as women brewed tea beneath dark clouds. Some residents sought refuge inside badly damaged buildings — even those at risk of collapse — covering gaping holes with pieces of plastic.

According to the United Nations, Muwasi sheltered as many as 425,000 displaced Palestinians earlier this year, the vast majority living in temporary makeshift tents after Israel’s war with Hamas forced most of Gaza’s more than 2 million residents to flee their homes. Muwasi had been largely undeveloped sand dunes before the Israeli military designated it a humanitarian zone early in the war.

The Israeli agency overseeing humanitarian aid to Gaza says it is permitting winterization supplies, including blankets and heavy tarps, to enter. Aid organizations caution that these measures are insufficient as winter temperatures fall and strong winds blow off the Mediterranean.

U.N. vote and wider context

The first phase of the ceasefire agreement is approaching its end. The next, more difficult stage would require forming a governing authority for Gaza and deploying an international stabilization force; the status of both remains uncertain. Another unresolved issue is the proposed disarming of Hamas.

The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote Monday on a U.S. proposal seeking a U.N. mandate for a stabilization force in Gaza, despite opposition from Russia, China and some Arab states.

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages. Militants still hold the remains of three hostages, which Israel says it wants returned before moving to the second stage of the ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10. Authorities say Israel has exchanged the remains of 15 Palestinians for the remains of each Israeli hostage.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that Israel’s military campaign has killed 69,100 Palestinians, including many women and children. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its counts; it is run by the Hamas-led government and maintains detailed records that independent experts generally view as reliable.

Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to the original reporting.