Israel Strikes Gaza Amid Heavy Rain Intensifying Hardship for Displaced Palestinians – Reuters

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO – On Monday, Israeli forces conducted two airstrikes in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of at least 10 Palestinians, including four children, according to medical sources. The strikes occurred amidst heavy rainfall that flooded the tents of displaced residents.

The ongoing assault on Gaza, now nearly a year old, continues despite international attention shifting towards the violence in Lebanon and northern Israel involving Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

Palestinian health officials reported that five individuals lost their lives at a school serving as a shelter for displaced persons in Nuseirat, one of the Gaza Strip’s historic refugee camps. The Israeli military stated that the strike was aimed at a Hamas command center located within a compound that used to function as a school.

Later that day, another Israeli airstrike targeted a home in Deir Al-Balah, where many have sought refuge, resulting in the deaths of a woman and four children. There has been no immediate response from the Israeli military regarding this incident.

Hamas’ armed wing claimed that their fighters successfully ambushed an Israeli convoy on the supply line east of Rafah city, using anti-tank rockets and previously placed explosive devices. The Israeli military has not yet commented on this assertion.

Escalating Hardships

The overnight rains added to the difficulties faced by displaced individuals in Gaza. Many tents were inundated, some were washed away entirely, and families were forced to evacuate in the middle of the night.

Residents attempted to mitigate the flooding by placing buckets on the ground and digging trenches to direct water away from their shelters. As demand surged, prices for new tents and plastic sheeting to prevent leaks spiked significantly.

Ahmed Al-Burai, 30, shared that makeshift tents were often constructed from used flour sacks, old clothes, and nylon bags. He reported that the heavy rain and winds had devastated many of these shelters. "Everything is soaked—blankets, food, and people—in just a few hours of rain," he said, describing the dire situation from Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area in southern Gaza.

Burai emphasized that many displaced individuals could not afford the inflated prices for tents and plastic sheeting. He noted that just two days prior, plastic sheeting cost between 100 and 200 shekels ($27 to $54), but the price had soared to 700-800 shekels ($189 to $216) due to exploitative traders.

The U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA highlighted the urgent need for more shelters and supplies to help those struggling as winter approaches. "With the onset of autumn, plastic and fabric alone are insufficient to shield people from the rain and cold," stated the agency.

The aftermath of nearly a year of conflict has left most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents displaced, as airstrikes and artillery fire have devastated large portions of the territory. More than 41,300 Palestinians have reportedly died due to the ongoing Israeli operations, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

This conflict, marking the deadliest phase in the protracted Israeli-Palestinian struggle, was ignited on October 7 when Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, killing 1,200 and taking approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli estimates.