Hamas Appeals to Mediators: Save Gaza People from an Imminent Disaster

Hamas has issued an urgent appeal to save the residents of the Gaza Strip from what it described as a "certain disaster," after heavy rains and severe weather on Monday night flooded hundreds of displaced persons' tents and blew away many others.

1. "Urgent Action" Required

• Lack of Protection: Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem stated that the humanitarian catastrophe is worsening with the arrival of a new weather depression. He emphasized that the current tents provide no protection against various weather conditions.

• International Failure: Qassem noted on "X" (formerly Twitter) that previous warnings and appeals to allow in proper shelter materials and start reconstruction fell on deaf ears. He criticized the international community for remaining unable to break the Israeli siege on Gaza.

• Urgent Appeals: The movement called on mediators, guarantor states of the ceasefire agreement, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take immediate action to save Gaza from this looming catastrophe.

2. Field Conditions and Flooded Tents

• Flooding: Eyewitnesses reported the flooding of hundreds of tents, particularly in the Chalets and Gaza Port areas in the west. Strong winds caused widespread damage, leaving families struggling to save their belongings from drowning.

• Staggering Losses: The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that flash floods swept away approximately 20,000 tents across the Gaza Strip, leaving displaced persons in a dire situation without safe alternatives for shelter.

3. Blocked Aid and Stranded Trucks

• Restricted Items: EU Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, revealed that hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks are stranded at the Rafah crossing. She noted that items such as sleeping bags (because of their color) and wheelchairs (because of their wheels) are being blocked by Israel as "dual-use" items.

• Winter Challenges: Lahbib stressed that aid must enter fully rather than gradually as winter approaches. She also noted that she and the European Commission have not been allowed to re-enter Gaza.

• Agreement Violations: Although the October ceasefire agreement mandated the entry of 600 aid trucks per day, aid organizations and Hamas confirm that this number has not been met consistently due to slow-moving Israeli inspection procedures at the border.