Gaza Floods and Landslide Kill Four as Peace Council Criticizes Israel
The Peace Council criticized Israel over winterization delays in Gaza as heavy storms flooded thousands of tents and a landslide killed a woman and three children.
Days following Tony Blair's visit to Israel and his meeting with President Isaac Herzog, the Peace Council issued a sharp statement criticizing Israel over delays in approving winterization equipment for the Gaza Strip, as heavy rains flooded tens of thousands of tents. The statement followed torrential downpours that devastated makeshift encampments across Gaza over the weekend. Medical officials reported that a rock and sand embankment collapse near a displacement camp south of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza killed a woman and three children, including two aged eight and six, and a four-year-old, while six others were injured.
The Peace Council stated it had pressured Israel for months to approve essential materials for temporary shelter, water infrastructure, sanitation, and waste management under the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement. While acknowledging steps taken by Israel, the council emphasized that the response remains insufficient and urged immediate authorization for winter supplies to prevent further humanitarian suffering. The statement also briefly called on Hamas to lay down its arms, relinquish governing authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, and halt military activities near civilian zones.
President Isaac Herzog recently addressed the urgent need to advance regional diplomatic horizons and the post-war framework, referencing the Peace Council and U.S. President Donald Trump's twenty-point plan during political consultations. Meanwhile, local authorities reported that at least seventy thousand tents were flooded within hours of the weekend storms, underscoring the severe vulnerability of displaced civilians living among the ruins of the enclave.
