Gaza, MINA – A powerful winter storm has severely damaged or destroyed thousands of tents housing displaced families across the Gaza Strip, exacerbating the dire humanitarian crisis, Gaza’s Civil Defense reported on Saturday.
Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal stated that strong winds and heavy rain caused widespread destruction to temporary shelters, particularly along the coastline where gusts reached up to 60 kilometers per hour. Basal directly linked the severity of the damage to Israel’s ongoing blockade, which prevents construction materials and adequate aid from entering Gaza.
“This is not merely a weather-related crisis,” Basal said. “What we are witnessing is a direct consequence of blocking the entry of construction materials and obstructing reconstruction, forcing people to live in torn tents and unsafe, damaged homes.”
The spokesperson warned that each new weather system now triggers a “real humanitarian catastrophe,” as families are forced to live in coastal areas after Israeli bombardment rendered inland urban zones uninhabitable. He also highlighted the deadly risk of thousands of partially destroyed homes collapsing during storms.
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The storm compounds the devastation of a brutal offensive since October 2023 that has killed over 71,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured more than 171,000 others, leaving Gaza in ruins. Despite a ceasefire effective since October 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have continued, resulting in hundreds of additional Palestinian casualties.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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