First major winter rains pummel Gaza and destroy makeshift shelters

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Winter’s first heavy rainfall sent water cascading through Gaza’s sprawling Muwasi tent camp on Saturday, as the territory struggles to cope with flooding and devastated infrastructure after two years of war.

Residents attempted to dig trenches to keep the water from flooding their tents, as rain dripped through tears in tarpaulins and makeshift shelters. The intermittent bursts soaked families’ scant belongings. Strong winds can also topple tents and hamper attempts to gather scarce food and supplies.

Two weeks ago, Bassil Naggar bought a new tent on the black market for the equivalent of about $712, because the summer sun had worn his old tent thin. Still, rainwater was leaking through.

“I spent all (Friday) pushing water out of my tent,” Naggar said, adding that his neighbors’ tents and belongings were wrecked. “Water puddles are inches high, and there is no proper drainage.”

Barefoot children splashed in puddles as women made tea outside under dark clouds. Some people tried to shelter in destroyed buildings, even those at risk of collapse, with gaping holes covered by pieces of plastic.

According to the United Nations, Muwasi was sheltering up to 425,000 displaced Palestinians earlier this year, the vast majority in makeshift temporary tents, after Israel’s war with Hamas displaced most of Gaza’s population of over 2 million people.

Muwasi had largely been undeveloped sand dunes before the Israeli military designated it a humanitarian zone early in the war.

The Israeli defense body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza has said it is allowing in winterization materials including blankets and heavy tarps, but aid organizations warn the efforts are far from sufficient when winter temperatures plummet and the wind whips off the Mediterranean.

UN vote expected Monday

The first stage of the ceasefire agreement is nearing its end. The next and even more challenging stage calls for the implementation of a governing body for Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force. It is not clear where either stands. Another looming question is the proposed disarming of Hamas.

The U.N. Security Council on Monday is expected to vote on a U.S. proposal for a U.N. mandate for a stabilization force in Gaza despite opposition from Russia, China and some Arab countries.

The war broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 hostages. They still hold the remains of three hostages, which Israel is demanding before progressing to the second stage of the current ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10.

Hamas has said the territory’s devastation is complicating efforts to find the remains, but Israel has accused the militant group of dragging its feet.

Israel has been returning the remains of 15 Palestinians for the remains of each Israeli hostage. Gaza’s Health Ministry on Saturday said Israel had returned 330 remains, and only 97 had been identified upon their return. Health officials in Gaza say identifications are complicated by a lack of DNA testing kits.

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed 69,100 Palestinians, including many women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.

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Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war