In the Gaza Strip, thousands of displaced people deprived of shelter due to severe bad weather

Torrential rains in the Gaza Strip have led to the flooding of tens of thousands of tents of displaced people, depriving them of shelter, and leaving several injured, local authorities said on Saturday (November 7). Around "70,000 tents sheltering tens of thousands of displaced people were flooded during the first day" of a depression affecting the Palestinian territory, said the press office of the Hamas-controlled government.

“Dozens of cracked walls and roofs collapsed, causing injuries, some in serious condition” across the Gaza Strip, the same source said. Since early morning, hundreds of families have been seen fleeing flooded displacement camps in the central and northern Gaza Strip, as well as Gaza City.

The territory's Civil Defense received more than 1,500 emergency calls during the night, according to its spokesperson, who told AFP that its teams were operating "without any equipment or means". The first aid organization, which operates under the authority of Hamas, cannot "face the consequences of this depression alone", insisted the spokesperson, who "launched an emergency appeal to the international community and humanitarian organizations".

In a statement, the coalition of Palestinian civil society organizations warned of the risk of disease spreading and "catastrophe" threatening Gaza residents. She also called for "pressuring Israel so that humanitarian aid can enter without restriction."