GAZA CITY, Palestine/ISTANBUL

Tents sheltering displaced civilians in Gaza have failed to withstand the winter’s first raindrops, with some tearing apart, leaving families exposed with no cover at all.

In moments, the worn fabric that served as their only shelter turned into muddy pools that trapped children’s feet and soaked the heads of mothers trying in vain to protect what remained of their bedding.

As heavy rain fell, thousands of displaced families found themselves in a new struggle with the storm, just as they had struggled before against starvation and two years of Israeli attacks.

With no infrastructure to rely on, scenes spread across the camps of families stacking stones and sand to raise sleeping mats off the ground, while others looked for any dry corner to shelter in after the rainfall.

Earlier on Friday, rainwater from the storm swept through hundreds of tents and shelters, further worsening an already dire humanitarian situation that has accumulated over two years of Israeli war.

This comes as families remain confined to narrow spaces behind what is known as the “yellow line,” after Israel prevented them from returning to homes it destroyed during the offensive.

The “yellow line” is the first withdrawal line outlined in the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on Oct. 10. It separates areas still under Israeli military control in the east from those where Palestinians are permitted to move in the west.

Israeli forces routinely target Palestinians who approach, even without crossing, the “yellow line” in areas where movement is permitted.

Displaced families face catastrophic conditions due to the lack of basic necessities, the difficulty of accessing essential supplies, and the severe shortage of vital services under the ongoing Israeli blockade.

Most displaced civilians rely on worn-out tents for shelter. Gaza’s government media office estimates that around 93 percent of all displacement tents were no longer suitable for living, about 125,000 tents out of 135,000.

-Flooded tents

In the midst of these harsh conditions, Abu Alaa, an elderly Palestinian man, said he does not know what to do after his tent was flooded. His home in northern Gaza was destroyed, and the Israeli army prevents him from returning to it.

“The tent and the bedding are full of rainwater,” he told Anadolu, explaining that he now needs a new tent and shelter, as he has no other place to go.

Mohammed al-Jarousha is in a similar situation. Facing severe financial hardships, he said he cannot afford plastic sheeting to cover his canvas tent, which quickly filled with water during the storm.

“We were flooded by the rain. We need solutions,” he told Anadolu. “We lived through a genocide, and now we are living through another one.”

“No one is paying attention to us despite the tragic situation we are in,” he added.

For Sabir Qawas, whose two-year-old daughter has cancer, the storm brought even greater hardships. He said their tent collapsed because of the rains.

Qawas told Anadolu he is now living on the street and cannot afford a new tent, nor is there any organization offering assistance.

Over nearly two years of war, tens of thousands of tents have been damaged by Israeli airstrikes or destroyed by natural reasons: intense summer heat and strong winter winds.

Israel has killed more than 69,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,000 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.