Heavy rain floods at least 70,000 tents in Gaza
Local authorities said the rain hit displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip in the past 12 hours, washing away shelters and soaking bedding. No deaths were reported, and civil defence officials said they could not cope.
The civil defence service said it received 1,500 distress calls from displaced residents. Three abandoned houses collapsed, and no one was hurt. Municipal and civil defence officials said fuel shortages and damaged equipment stopped them from responding well.
The officials said Israel destroyed hundreds of vehicles, including bulldozers and pumping vehicles, during the war against Hamas. Four more vacuum trucks entered Gaza this week through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Eight others came in over the past month.
Hamas blamed Israel for not allowing shelters and construction materials into Gaza. Olfat Magdoub, whose tent in Gaza City flooded, said she was already overwhelmed on the first day of rain and feared more. Displaced resident Rafiq Ghattas said people had no resources, tarpaulins or tents, and that no one was checking on them.
Key facts
- Who
- Olfat Magdoub (Gaza resident whose tent was flooded); Rafiq Ghattas (displaced Gaza resident); Cogat (Israeli military agency that co-ordinates aid); Hamas (governing authority in Gaza, blamed Israel for restricting shelters and…)
- What
- Heavy rain flooded at least 70,000 tents in Gaza in the past 12 hours, washing away shelters and soaking bedding, with no fatalities reported. Municipal and civil defence officials said they could not cope due to fuel shortages and damaged equipment, and Hamas blamed Israel for restricting shelter and construction materials.
- When
- 7 November 2026
- Where
- Gaza Strip, Gaza City, Gaza
- Status
- Reported