Winter Storms Worsen Gaza Crisis, Kill at Least 12

Winter storms have intensified the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, flooding thousands of tents and causing buildings to collapse, resulting in at least a dozen deaths among the enclave's displaced population. The severe weather, including heavy rains and strong winds from Storm Byron, struck the Gaza Strip late last week, exacerbating conditions for roughly 1.5 million people living in makeshift shelters amid ongoing restrictions on aid deliveries.

Rescue teams in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp pulled six people, including two children, from the rubble of a war-damaged home after its roof caved in during the storm on Wednesday. Gaza’s Civil Defence reported that 13 buildings collapsed across the territory, burying at least 12 individuals, while torrential rains inundated more than 27,000 tents. Medical sources confirmed the death of a two-week-old infant from exposure to extreme cold, underscoring the vulnerabilities faced by children and the elderly in inadequate housing. Officials estimate that thousands of partially destroyed structures remain at risk, with recovery efforts hampered by unstable debris, fuel shortages, and limited equipment.

United Nations agencies have supplies...