Shafaq News – Gaza (Updated at 12:41)

A powerful winter storm has killed at least nine people in Gaza, including residents of a house that collapsed in the Bir Al-Naaja area of Beit Lahia, Palestinian media reported on Friday, citing the enclave’s Ambulance and Emergency Service.

In a statement, Gaza’s Civil Defense also confirmed that a collapsed wall crushed tents sheltering displaced families west of Gaza City, killing two more people as a deep low-pressure system continued to sweep the territory, which has recorded 70,373 deaths and 171,079 injuries since the Israeli war began on October 7, 2023.

Rescue teams evacuated residents and treated injuries after part of a roof gave way at a house in Jabalia hosting displaced families, while two children were hurt when their tent collapsed at the Abu Jabal camp in the Al-Amadi district.

Heavy rain and fierce winds have gripped the Gaza Strip since Wednesday, flooding thousands of tents across multiple locations. Earlier, Palestinian outlets reported that two infants died from exposure in Khan Younis, while additional collapses were recorded in Gaza City, including a three-story building failure in Al-Nasr, a residential home collapse in Al-Zaytoun, and an apartment building failure in Tel Al-Hawa.

Civil Defense teams documented widespread flooding in Khan Younis, Deir Al-Balah, Al-Nuseirat, and Gaza City, where dozens of tents were flattened. In Al-Mawasi alone, crews evacuated families from 14 inundated shelters and moved them to safer ground.

Read more: Against the cold: Gaza's displaced face humanitarian peril in winter 2025