Heavy November rain swept away tens of thousands of tents in Gaza, leaving displaced families exposed as Australia, Canada, Italy, and the United Kingdom urged Israel to allow immediate humanitarian access.
The four countries co-signed a Sunday joint statement warning that 150,000 tents and vital supplies remain held at the border despite a severe humanitarian crisis. For years, Israel has restricted entry and exports into Gaza, and placed the territory under a full-scale blockade after the start of the war in October 2023.
“People in Gaza desperately need shelter and humanitarian assistance,” the joint statement said, adding that “150,000 tents and other vital supplies are being held at the border and prevented from entering Gaza.”
Under the Geneva Convention, denying civilians access to humanitarian aid can constitute a war crime. The foreign ministers urged the Government of Israel to stop delays and allow unimpeded aid throughout the territory.
“This situation is entirely reversible,” Sunday’s statement said, “and there is still time to act before the winter fully sets in.” More than 1.9 million people have been displaced in the territory, according to the United Nations.
As of November 1, the Global Shelter Cluster estimated that Gaza residents need at least 1.7 million mattresses and 121,000 tents to face cold and rainy weather. Entire neighbourhoods were levelled during the conflict, and some remaining structures are unstable, leading to twenty deaths in September when a shelter collapsed.
The United Nations Humanitarian Country Team of the Occupied Palestinian Territory stated on Friday that the devastating impact of the latest rainstorm was preventable. “Children and adults were killed, critical services suspended, and thousands of family shelters flooded, swept away, or torn apart – not by the storm alone, but by policy decisions,” the team wrote.
The European Union also released a statement on Saturday expressing grave concern over the crisis and urging Israel to reopen all Gaza border crossings.
| Item / Metric | Count / Data | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tents Held at Border | 150,000 | Joint Statement |
| Displaced Population | Over 1.9 million | United Nations |
| Tents Needed for Winter | 121,000 | Global Shelter Cluster |
| Mattresses Needed | 1.7 million | Global Shelter Cluster |
The joint appeal issued on Sunday also urged every faction to adopt the 2025 Comprehensive Plan for Gaza, which sought an immediate truce between Hamas and Israel. Attacks have continued, however, including an Israeli air strike on Thursday at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital that killed six Palestinians.
Israel faces an ongoing genocide case at the International Court of Justice, alongside arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, over war crimes and crimes against humanity.
