UN appeals for immediate entry of winter supplies into Gaza

The UN's humanitarian coordination body for the occupied Palestinian territory called on Friday for winter supplies to be let into Gaza immediately, saying that rainstorms have killed people and torn apart shelters and that more deaths will follow unless tents, blankets and pumping equipment get in.

The Humanitarian Country Team, which brings together heads of UN agencies and international and Palestinian aid groups, said the damage from the storm that hit Gaza last weekend "was preventable". Children and adults were killed, essential services were suspended and thousands of family shelters were flooded, swept away or torn apart, it said in a statement, adding that this happened "not by the storm alone, but by policy decisions".

Arab News reported initial estimates that more than 200,000 people in Gaza have been affected by the recent rains and flooding and need assistance, and that the flooding killed several people and damaged the shelters of more than 40,000 families.

The aid groups said they had presented a plan months ago for the 2026-2027 winter season, covering shelter, health and protection services, drainage and sandbag reinforcement. The supplies it identified include tents, warm clothing and blankets, and equipment to pump water, clear debris and remove unexploded ordnance.

More than 150,000 tents procured by humanitarian partners and member states are outside Gaza and ready for dispatch, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, most of them in Al Arish, about 50 kilometres from Khan Younis. Each storm destroys more tents inside the strip, so the need keeps growing, it said.

The Humanitarian Country Team said Israel, as the occupying power, is obliged to ensure the basic needs of Gaza's population. It said Israeli policies obstruct the entry of critical items and access to most of Gaza's land, including higher ground away from the shoreline that is less prone to flooding. Incoming supplies face multiple approval requirements, limited crossing capacity and narrow or unpredictable delivery windows, and funding has fallen well short of what is needed, it said.

The body called on Israel to expedite deliveries in sufficient quantities through every available crossing every day, lift restrictions, allow water and wastewater networks to be repaired, let all humanitarian partners including Palestinian NGOs operate, and allow meaningful commercial activity. It urged member states to use their influence to ensure those steps are taken and to fund the winter plan.

Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said on X that the UN had warned for months about the need to move winter supplies into Gaza. Arab News reported that he said several foreign ministers and partners had reaffirmed their support but cautioned that progress might be limited before Israeli elections, and that waiting for a new government to be formed would be unacceptable under international humanitarian law.

Arab News also reported that Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on Thursday and detained several of them. Preliminary reports said five fishermen were thrown into the sea after being questioned aboard a military vessel while the others remained in detention there, with their whereabouts unknown.