Four people are dead and nearly two million displaced Palestinians face catastrophic conditions after severe flooding tore through Gaza, with humanitarian organisations warning that waterborne disease, food shortages and the onset of winter are pushing the territory to a breaking point.
Three children and a woman were killed on Sunday evening when a sand embankment collapsed onto tents housing displaced families in Deir al-Balah following heavy rainfall, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Tens of thousands of makeshift shelters across the besieged territory were inundated, with conditions expected to deteriorate further as El Nino weather patterns intensify seasonal rains.
Children Left Fighting Floods with Mugs and Buckets
Humanitarian organisation Plan International described scenes of desperate helplessness among Gaza's youngest residents, with families who had already been forced from their homes multiple times now contending with floodwaters inside their tents.
"We are hearing heartbreaking stories of children trying to fight the floods with nothing but mugs and buckets," said Plan's Global Humanitarian Director, Dr Unni Krishnan. "Having already endured displacement multiple times due to a brutal war and the trauma of homelessness, children in Gaza are now facing catastrophic floods. There is only so much a child can endure."
Dr Krishnan warned that the arrival of winter is placing thousands of children in life-threatening situations, compounding the sustained trauma of ongoing conflict and repeated displacement. The United Nations estimates that close to two million Palestinians are currently displaced across the territory.
Plan International also reported that flooding has wiped out critical food supplies for many families, including staples such as flour, rice and bread, raising urgent concerns about nutrition alongside the growing threat of waterborne disease spreading through flood-contaminated areas.
International Pressure Mounts Over Israel's Response
US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, which has generally avoided direct criticism of the Israeli government, issued a statement on Monday calling on Israel to permit the entry of essential materials including temporary shelter, clean water infrastructure, sanitation facilities, drainage systems and sewage removal equipment.
"The urgent entry and distribution of essential shelter, sanitation, drainage, and other winterisation supplies is critical to protecting civilian lives," the Board of Peace said.
The statement was described as an "understatement" by Philippe Lazzarini, the former head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. While acknowledging the board's "rare recognition" that Israel's response to the humanitarian crisis has been inadequate, Lazzarini accused it of failing to deploy any meaningful leverage to address what he characterised as a "disgraceful dystopian misery" endured by Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel's prime minister's office pushed back on Tuesday, stating that Israel would "continue to support winter preparedness in Gaza" and pointing to humanitarian supplies it said had already entered the enclave. The statement argued that Hamas remained the core obstacle, claiming the militant group uses dual-use items entering Gaza to strengthen its military capacity.
Ceasefire in Name Only as Death Toll and Suffering Climb
The flooding crisis is unfolding against a backdrop of sustained violence. Since a nominal ceasefire came into effect in October 2025, Israeli strikes described as near-daily have killed more than 1,400 people in Gaza, according to the United Nations. No hospitals within the territory are reported to be fully operational.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who has led a multinational push to impose sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, described the situation on the ground as heartbreaking.
"Heavy rain. Flooded tents. The reality on the ground is heartbreaking," Miliband said. "The UK government will not stand by. We will not rest until we bring an end to the intolerable suffering."
With winter deepening and international calls for action growing louder, aid agencies are warning that without an immediate and substantial increase in supplies and access, the death toll in Gaza will continue to rise not only from conflict, but from the elements themselves.
