By Anadolu staff

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – At least 288,000 Palestinian families are living a “harsh tragedy” after tens of thousands of tents sheltering displaced people were flooded by recent rainstorms, local authorities said Monday.

In a statement, Gaza’s Government Media Office accused Israel of deliberately worsening the crisis by denying the entry of shelter materials and basic supplies into the enclave.

“At least 288,000 Palestinian families are enduring a harsh tragedy under difficult weather conditions and the lack of even the minimum requirements for life,” it said.

The office said tens of thousands of tents sheltering displaced civilians were flooded during a winter storm last week.

The scene “reflects the scale of suffering and the failure of the international community to provide shelter supplies,” it said, citing that the enclave is in dire need of around 300,000 tents and mobile homes to secure shelter for civilians.

Over the past three days, heavy rains and strong winds have ravaged thousands of tents sheltering families displaced by Israel’s two-year war.

The media office held Israel “fully responsible for the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced people facing harsh winter without safe shelter or basic services” by continuing to shut the territory’s crossing.

The Palestinian group Hamas also warned of a “real threat” to thousands of civilians in Gaza amid harsh weather conditions.

“The tragic conditions of our Palestinian people pose a real threat to the lives of unarmed civilians, particularly children and women, amid winter weather and increased rainfall,” it said in a statement.

The Israeli army launched a brutal offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 69,000 people, mostly women and children, injuring over 170,000 others, and reducing the enclave to rubble. The assault came to a halt under a ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10.