70,000 Tents Flooded in Gaza as Israel Blocks Mobile Homes

More than 70,000 tents have flooded in Gaza since heavy rain began late Friday, according to Gaza's Government Media Office, as Israel continues to block entry of 60,000 mobile homes meant to shelter displaced families through the winter, Al Jazeera reported.

Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians remain in locations the Government Media Office describes as highly vulnerable to further flooding, according to the outlet.

How many tents have flooded in Gaza?

The Government Media Office said more than 70,000 tents flooded after rain swept across Gaza starting late Friday night, Al Jazeera reported. Families in az-Zawayda, in central Gaza, described the ground outside their camp as resembling a swimming pool.

Why are 60,000 mobile homes still parked outside Gaza?

More than a year after a ceasefire deal was signed between Israel and Hamas, Israel has continued to block the entry of shelter materials into Gaza, including 60,000 mobile homes and 200,000 tents, according to Al Jazeera. Only 20,000 tents have been allowed through. The mobile homes remain parked on the Egyptian side of the border, some for more than two years, the outlet reported.

What does the flooding look like for one displaced family?

Jaber al-Kaseeh, who is in his 70s and was displaced from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, is in his fourth winter living in a tent in az-Zawayda. Water rushed into his tent Saturday night, soaking mattresses, carpets, blankets and food, he told Al Jazeera.

"Everyone woke up and stayed awake, asking their neighbours about the extent of damage and inquiring about children," al-Kaseeh said.

He said his camp flooded three or four times last winter, forcing many families to leave. About 40 tents remain there, he said, and the latest rain has left them in worse shape than before.

"All the tents are now damaged, torn and covered in mud," al-Kaseeh said.

How many Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced overall?

More than 90 percent of Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced, many of them multiple times, since the war began on October 7, 2023, according to Al Jazeera.

What do displaced families say they need now?

Al-Kaseeh said his family urgently needs tents, tarpaulins, plastic sheets, mattresses, blankets and carpets "to protect us from the difficult days ahead," he told Al Jazeera. For now, families in az-Zawayda and other camps across Gaza are left checking on neighbors after each storm, clearing mud from what remains of their shelters, and waiting for mobile homes that have sat idle across the border for more than two years.

Full reporting, including photographs from az-Zawayda, is available from Al Jazeera.