Torrential rains have washed away hundreds of tents sheltering displaced civilians in the war-torn Gaza Strip on Tuesday, witnesses said.
According to witnesses, the rainwater caused the erosion of dirt roads surrounding displacement camps west of the central city of Deir al-Balah and the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.
The heavy rains and stormy winds have caused the collapse of hundreds of worn-out tents, leaving displaced families without any shelter amid harsh weather conditions, they added.
Many families were forced to spend their night in the open as their tents, personal belongings and possessions were swept away by the heavy rains, the witnesses said.
Dozens of tents in low-lying areas and agricultural lands were also submerged in rainwater, which pooled in the streets and among the tents.
Witnesses said civil defense and municipal teams were unable to address the situation due to a severe lack of resources and equipment.
Residents said some families tried to protect their tents by surrounding them with dirt barriers, but the heavy rains and rushing floods swept them away.
Local authorities have appealed to international and humanitarian organizations, and UN agencies to urgently intervene to provide adequate shelter and emergency relief to address the catastrophic situation.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Palestinian Civil Defense said its teams received hundreds of distress calls from displaced civilians, whose tents and destroyed homes were submerged by rainwater in the strip.
The agency confirmed that its teams were working to evacuate affected individuals from their shelters to other locations. However, these alternative locations are often uninhabitable, forcing them to remain in the open under rain and freezing temperatures.
The Gaza Strip has been hit by a cold wave and torrential rains since Sunday, bringing more misery to the territory's 2.3 million population.
The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed over 45,500 victims, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
