Winter Rain Floods Gaza Camps As Netanyahu Heads For U.S. Meeting

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Winter rain hits Gaza Strip Gaza Strip Over the weekend, camps were filled with ankle-deep puddles of water as Palestinians displaced by two years of war tried to stay dry in tents worn from months of use.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu He traveled to Florida on Monday for an expected meeting with US President Donald Trump about the second phase of the ceasefire. The aim of the first phase, which came into effect on October 10, was to increase humanitarian assistance to people. GazaIncluding shelter.

Netanyahu did not make any press statement when leaving.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, blankets became soaked and clay ovens used for cooking were flooded. Children wearing flip-flops were walking through puddles. Some people used shovels or cans to remove water from tents. Others clawed at the ground to lift collapsed shelters from the mud.

“There were puddles and a bad smell,” said Majdoleen Tarabein, who was displaced from Rafah in southern Gaza. “The tent flew away. We don’t know what to do or where to go.”

He and his family members tried to dry the muddy blankets by squeezing them by hand.

“When we woke up in the morning, we saw water entering the tent,” said Eman Abu Riziq, who was displaced in Khan Younis. “These are mattresses. They’re all completely soaked.”

She said her family is still reeling from the shock of her husband’s death less than two weeks ago.

“Where are the mediators? We don’t want food. We don’t want anything. We’re tired. We just want mattresses and covers,” said Fatima Abu Omar, trying to keep a collapsing shelter afloat.

At least 12 people, including a 2-week-old baby, have died since December 13 from hypothermia or the collapse of war-damaged homes due to weather conditions, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is part of the Hamas-run government.

Emergency officials warned people not to stay in damaged buildings because they could collapse. However, since much of the area is under rubble, there is little escape from the rain. In July, the United Nations estimated that almost 80% of buildings in Gaza were destroyed or damaged.

According to the data of the Ministry of Health, 414 people have died and 1,142 people have been injured in Gaza since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began. The total number of Palestinians killed in the war is at least 71,266. The ministry, which does not discriminate between militants and civilians in its census, is staffed by medical experts and keeps detailed records that are generally considered reliable by the international community.

The Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

Humanitarian aid shipment to Gaza It falls far short of the amount requested. US brokered ceasefireAccording to aid organizations and Associated Press analysis Figures of the Israeli army.

The Israeli military body responsible for humanitarian aid said 4,200 trucks transported aid to Gaza last week, while eight garbage trucks also entered Gaza to help with sanitation, as well as tents and winter clothing. No information was given about the number of tents. Aid groups said the need far exceeded the number received.

According to Shelter Cluster, a coalition of international aid providers led by the Norwegian Refugee Council, approximately 72,000 tents and 403,000 awnings have gone in since the ceasefire began.

Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN’s top group overseeing aid in Gaza, wrote on social media: “People in Gaza are surviving in flimsy, waterlogged tents and amidst rubble.” “There is nothing inevitable about this. Aid materials are not allowed to enter at the desired scale.”

While the ceasefire agreement is mostly valid, its progress has slowed.

Israel said it refused to move forward with the remains of the last hostage still in Gaza. Hamas said the destruction in Gaza was hampering efforts to find remains.

Challenges in the next phase include the deployment of an international stabilization force, a technocratic governing body for Gaza, demilitarization of Gaza. Hamas militant group and further withdrawal of Israeli troops from the region.

Both Israel and Hamas accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

Sally Abou AlJoud reported from Beirut. Melanie Lidman contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, Israel.

An earlier version of this story was corrected to say the ceasefire would go into effect on October 10, not October 11.

Find more of AP’s Israel-Hamas coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.