GAZA CITY, Palestine/ISTANBUL

A severe storm system killed two Palestinian brothers overnight and early Friday in Gaza City, raising the number of weather-related deaths across the Gaza Strip to four within the past 24 hours, medical sources said.

The storm, driven by a low-pressure system, continued to batter Gaza for a third consecutive day, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds and flooding that left hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians struggling inside fragile tents across the enclave.

The brothers, Khader and Khalil Iyhab Hanouna, lost their life when a wall collapsed onto their tent under the weight of intense rainfall in central Gaza City, the sources told Anadolu.

Their deaths followed two other fatalities linked to the storm within the same 24-hour period. One Palestinian was killed after his home collapsed in the Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City, while a young girl died from exposure after her family’s tent flooded in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Several Palestinians were also injured when part of a house previously damaged by Israeli strikes collapsed in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza. Some residents were still believed to be trapped under the rubble.

In a separate incident, Gaza’s Civil Defense said several Palestinians, including children, were injured when a tent sheltering displaced families collapsed in the al-Mina (Port) area west of Gaza City because of strong winds and heavy rain.

Floodwaters submerged thousands of worn tents across multiple areas of the enclave, damaging shelters and destroying displaced families’ belongings, further worsening conditions amid plunging temperatures.

The Civil Defense said it evacuated several displaced families after two partially damaged homes collapsed in Khan Younis, warning against seeking shelter in buildings at risk of further collapse.

Three buildings also collapsed west of Gaza City on Thursday as heavy rain and flooding continued to hit the enclave.

About 250,000 families are currently living in displacement camps across the Gaza Strip, many facing cold weather and flooding inside fragile tents, according to the Civil Defense.

Despite the ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, living conditions in Gaza have not improved, as Israel continues to impose strict restrictions on the entry of aid trucks, violating the humanitarian protocol of the agreement.

Israel has killed more than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023, which have continued despite a ceasefire two months ago.