Hamas urges emergency global action as Gaza floods affect over 200,000 Palestinians

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya has called for an emergency international relief campaign to provide urgent shelter for Palestinians in Gaza, as torrential winter rains flooded displacement camps and damaged thousands of temporary structures across the enclave.

In formal letters addressed to Arab and Muslim governments, al-Hayya urged states to secure the immediate entry of winterised tents, heating supplies, fuel, and equipment required to repair damaged sewage and rainwater drainage networks, according to the Palestinian group.

Al-Hayya attributed the worsening humanitarian emergency to persistent Israeli restrictions on aid entry and reconstruction materials, compounded by the widespread destruction of residential housing and municipal utilities.

He stressed that conditions across Gaza can no longer be treated as a temporary relief crisis or an inevitable consequence of war.

Ceasefire compliance

The Hamas leader demanded coordinated international pressure on Israel to implement the ceasefire agreement fully, including completing a total military withdrawal from Gaza and adhering to the humanitarian protocols signed in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Al-Hayya further demanded unrestricted access for United Nations agencies and humanitarian missions, alongside entry clearance for the Palestinian national committee appointed to administer the territory.

His appeal included calls for direct funding to secure safe shelter, rebuild basic infrastructure, and finance long-term reconstruction.

He also urged the UN Security Council to convene an emergency public session to address the deepening crisis, noting that he had contacted mediators over the past 48 hours to demand urgent intervention.

Severe downpours have inundated temporary camps throughout Gaza, exposing hundreds of thousands of displaced families to bitter winter cold amid acute shortages of plastic sheeting, blankets, and protective materials.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Friday that floodwaters have affected more than 200,000 Palestinians, damaging makeshift shelters housing upwards of 40,000 families.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a stark warning that 950,000 displaced people are residing in flood-prone terrain, including more than 400,000 occupying high-risk zones vulnerable to catastrophic waterlogging.

TRT World & Agencies — TRT World & Agencies

Photo: AP