Heavy rains and strong winds have swept through Gaza, submerging thousands of tents sheltering displaced families and inundating sections of Al-Shifa Hospital, the territory’s largest medical facility. The storm, which began Monday evening, has damaged hundreds of additional tents and severely disrupted emergency and reception services at the hospital, already struggling to operate following extensive damage sustained during previous military attacks.

The ongoing scarcity of medical supplies, equipment, and medications, restricted under Israeli controls, has further complicated efforts to maintain healthcare services. Witnesses reported that many displaced families woke to find their shelters flooded, belongings destroyed, or entirely swept away by violent winds. Some have sought refuge amid the ruins of buildings partially destroyed in earlier attacks.

Civil defence authorities have warned of the imminent risk posed by thousands of partially damaged homes, describing them as a serious threat to the safety of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living without shelter. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which continues months after the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October, has been exacerbated by the storm, leaving the population increasingly vulnerable to cold, illness, and further displacement.