Flooding Soaks Gaza Tent Camps Amid Aid Shortages

Heavy rainfall over the weekend flooded makeshift tent camps across Gaza, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians as winter sets in amid ongoing aid restrictions.

In the southern coastal area of Muwasi, designated as a humanitarian zone early in the conflict, water cascaded through tents sheltering up to 425,000 people, according to United Nations estimates from earlier this year. Residents in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis reported similar inundations, with puddles forming inches deep around families' belongings. The downpours, part of a low-pressure system bringing cold air and strong winds, soaked mattresses, clothing and food supplies, leaving many families to dig trenches or seek refuge in damaged buildings at risk of collapse.

The flooding highlights the fragility of Gaza's temporary shelters after more than two years of war, which has displaced nearly all of the territory's 2.3 million residents. Tents, often purchased on the black market for high prices, have worn thin under summer sun and relentless use. Bassil Naggar, a resident of Muwasi, described spending an entire day bailing water from his shelter. "My neighbors'...