Gaza Flooding Draws Criticism of Israel’s Aid Restrictions
Heavy rainfall inundated many tens of thousands of tents throughout Gaza, where around two-thirds of the population has been displaced and is living in makeshift shelters. On November 9, Trump’s Board of Peace said Israel’s response to the flooding was insufficient and urged it to allow essential shelter, sanitation, drainage and other winter supplies into the territory to protect civilians.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said a sand embankment collapsed onto tents in Deir al-Balah on November 8, killing three children and a woman. The United Nations children’s agency and other international organizations also criticized restrictions on humanitarian access. Aid organizations said 150,000 additional shelters were awaiting Israeli approval.
Israel said upwards of 91,000 tents had reached Gaza before winter, although it has not allowed in heavy equipment for large-scale cleanup and rubble removal. The Israeli official responsible for coordinating government activities in the territories said reconstruction could begin only after Hamas fully disarms, and that equipment that could support the group’s military capabilities would not be permitted.
The ceasefire agreed a year earlier has brought little relief, with Israeli strikes continuing. The Board of Peace was established to oversee the ceasefire’s implementation and Gaza’s reconstruction, but that effort has stalled. Former UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini called the board’s criticism an understatement and faulted it for not using its leverage. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the worsening humanitarian situation was heartbreaking and that the UK would keep working to end the suffering.
Israel’s Aid Restrictions Leave Flooded Gaza Families Exposed
Tens of thousands of tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza were flooded by heavy rain, and aid organizations say 150,000 more shelters are awaiting Israel’s approval. The Board of Peace said on November 9 that Israel’s response was insufficient and called for essential shelter, sanitation and drainage supplies to enter the territory.
The human cost was immediate: Gaza’s Ministry of Health said a collapsed sand embankment crushed tents in Deir al-Balah on November 8, killing three children and a woman. Around two-thirds of Gaza’s population has been displaced and is living in tents, while international organizations say humanitarian access is inadequate.
Israel says more than 91,000 tents have entered Gaza, but it is barring heavy equipment needed for large-scale cleanup and rubble removal. Its position that reconstruction must wait until Hamas disarms leaves civilian recovery tied to a security demand even as winter storms worsen conditions. The ceasefire, now a year old, has brought little relief, and the Board of Peace’s reconstruction effort has stalled.
Former UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini called the board’s description of Israel’s response an understatement and said it was failing to use its leverage. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the situation was heartbreaking and pledged that the UK would continue working to end the suffering.
Board of Peace Presses Israel as Hamas Still Blocks Gaza’s Recovery
Storms flooded tens of thousands of tents in Gaza, prompting Trump’s Board of Peace and international aid organizations to criticize Israel’s response. The board urged Israel on November 9 to permit essential shelter, sanitation and drainage supplies, while aid groups said 150,000 additional shelters were awaiting approval.
Israel says more than 91,000 tents have already entered Gaza ahead of winter. But it has refused entry to heavy equipment for large-scale cleanup and rubble removal, arguing that equipment could be used to develop terrorist capabilities. The Israeli official overseeing government operations in the territories said reconstruction can begin only after Hamas fully disarms.
The conditions are severe: around two-thirds of Gaza’s population has been displaced and is living in tents. Gaza’s Ministry of Health said a sand embankment collapsed onto tents in Deir al-Balah on November 8, killing three children and a woman. Israeli strikes have continued despite the year-old ceasefire, which has delivered little relief.
The Board of Peace was created to oversee implementation of the ceasefire and reconstruction, but that effort has stalled. Its criticism of Israel adds pressure over aid access, while Israel maintains that lasting rebuilding cannot proceed until Hamas disarms. Former UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said the board was not using its leverage to address the crisis.
