Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza are confronting renewed winter storms as a third polar low recently passed and a fourth is forecast. Fragile tents and makeshift shelters—many occupied since late 2023 after widespread destruction—have been flooded, leaving families exposed to cold and rain. Gaza authorities reported at least 15 hypothermia deaths in December; the Health Ministry says 414 people have been killed and 1,142 wounded since the October 10 ceasefire took effect. Aid groups are urging expanded humanitarian access and shelter support.
Gaza: Displaced Families Face Flooded Tents and Freezing Storms as New Polar Lows Hit
Palestinians struggle with flooding after heavy rain hits the Bureij refugee camp in Gaza City earlier this month [Moiz Salhi/Anadolu]
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip — living amid tents and scattered debris — are enduring renewed winter storms after two years of Israeli bombardment devastated much of the territory.
A polar low-pressure system brought heavy rain and strong winds across Gaza on Saturday. Meteorologist Laith al-Allami told the Anadolu news agency this was the third polar low to affect the territory this winter, and he warned a fourth system is forecast to begin impacting the area starting Monday.
Fragile Shelters and Rising Risk
Many families have remained in tents since late 2023 and continue to lack secure housing. Authorities say the enclave faces freezing temperatures, more rain and strong gusts, and that ongoing downpours could escalate into a severe storm.
Voices From The Ground
“I could not find anywhere to live in Gaza, except Gaza Port,” said Mohammed Maslah, a displaced resident in Gaza City, speaking from inside his battered tent. “I’m forced to stay here because my home is under Israeli control. After just a few hours of rain, we were soaked.”
Shaima Wadi, a mother of four displaced from Jabaliya and now in Deir al-Balah, told the Associated Press: “We have been living in this tent for two years. 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 can barely afford clothes for our children or mattresses for them to sleep on.”
Humanitarian Impact And Response
Heavy rains earlier this month flooded tents and improvised shelters across Gaza, where the majority of buildings have been destroyed or damaged by Israeli strikes. Gaza authorities reported that at least 15 people, including three babies, died from hypothermia in December following rains and falling temperatures; several buildings also collapsed.
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that since the October 10 ceasefire went into effect, more than 414 Palestinians have been killed and 1,142 wounded. The ministry added that 679 bodies have been recovered from rubble during the same period, and on Saturday it said 29 bodies — including 25 recovered from beneath rubble — had been delivered to local hospitals over the previous 48 hours. The ministry also gave a cumulative death toll of at least 71,266 and 171,219 wounded for the wider conflict.
Aid organisations have repeatedly urged Israel to permit more shelters, medical supplies and other humanitarian assistance into the territory. Ibrahim Abu al-Reesh, head of field operations for Civil Defence in the Gaza Port area, said his teams responded to multiple distress calls as weather conditions worsened and worked to cover damaged tents with plastic sheeting after floods.
Politics And The Ceasefire
Negotiators continue discussing the second stage of the ceasefire, which took effect on October 10. Key challenges include the proposed deployment of an international stabilisation force, the formation of a technocratic governing body for Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas as proposed by some parties, and additional Israeli troop withdrawals. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington, D.C., in the coming days as talks continue.
Winter weather has compounded the hardship faced by displaced families. Humanitarian groups warn that without increased shelter, heating and supplies, more people — including children and infants — remain at risk from exposure, flooding and disease.
