Storm Byron's heavy winter rains have flooded streets, tents and makeshift shelters across the Gaza Strip, aggravating conditions for the displaced population. A two‑week‑old infant, Muhammad Khalil Abu Al‑Khair, died of severe hypothermia after being admitted to hospital. The UN says about 1.3 million people now need shelter assistance and warns that supplies have been delayed for months. Gaza's civil defence reported multiple deaths from building collapses and cold‑related causes, and residents are urging urgent international aid and reconstruction.
Storm Byron Floods Gaza: Winter Rains Submerge Streets, Tents — Infant Dies of Hypothermia
The tiny Gaza Strip receives nearly all of its precipitation via strong rain in the late autumn and winter (Omar AL-QATTAA)(Omar AL-QATTAA/AFP/AFP)
Fresh winter rains from Storm Byron have inundated streets, tents and makeshift shelters across the Gaza Strip, compounding the humanitarian crisis in a territory battered by two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Residents pushed cars through waist‑high water or climbed onto donkey‑drawn carts to navigate submerged roads after the downpour. Many shelters and partially damaged buildings were overwhelmed by floodwaters, leaving displaced families exposed to cold and damp conditions.
The health ministry in the Hamas‑run territory reported that a two‑week‑old infant, Muhammad Khalil Abu Al‑Khair, died of severe hypothermia. The ministry said the baby had been admitted to hospital two days earlier, placed in intensive care, and died on Monday.
Although an October ceasefire has eased some restrictions on goods and aid, the United Nations warns that the flow of critical supplies into Gaza remains insufficient. The UN estimated on Monday that about 1.3 million people now need shelter assistance and highlighted that infants and other vulnerable groups face an increased risk of hypothermia.
"With heavy rain and cold brought in by Storm Byron, people in the Gaza Strip are freezing to death,"
— Philippe Lazzarini, Head of the UN Palestinian Relief Agency (UNRWA), on X
Lazzarini added that UN relief consignments have been waiting for months to enter Gaza and that those supplies could meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of people in urgent need.
Rises In Deaths And Building Collapses
Gaza's civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority as the local rescue force, said at least 16 people died within a 24‑hour period from building collapses and cold‑related effects following the heavy rains. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal reported at least one death after the roof of a house collapsed in northwest Gaza City; the home had previously been damaged by air strikes.
AFP footage showed rescuers carrying a man's body from shattered concrete slabs while relatives wept in the street. Displaced residents called on the international community for urgent assistance and long‑term reconstruction so families can return to permanent homes.
Located between the Sinai and the Negev Desert on one side and the Mediterranean Sea on the other, the narrow Gaza Strip receives most of its rainfall during strong late autumn and winter storms — making heavy seasonal rain particularly dangerous for a population living largely in temporary shelters.
Humanitarian authorities warn that without faster, larger-scale delivery of shelter materials, winter clothing and heating resources, more deaths and suffering are likely as winter continues.
