GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center)، The warnings issued by the Government Media Office (GMO) regarding the polar storm “Byron” have begun to materialize into a tragic reality, as severe weather conditions have battered the Gaza Strip from Wednesday evening through Friday.
In a new statement received by the Palestinian Information Center, the GMO said the storm brought with it sweeping floods, torrential rain, violent wind gusts, high sea waves, and thunderstorms, placing more than one and a half million displaced people in direct danger of drowning and the collapse of already-damaged homes.
It added that hundreds of thousands of families who have been living for more than two years in worn-out tents and temporary shelters now face an unprecedented threat, amid the Israeli continued ban on the entry of prefab homes and shelter materials, and the absence of any international intervention that provides even the minimum level of protection.
The statement noted that the past hours witnessed dangerous developments, including 12 martyrs and missing persons resulting from the effects of the storm and polar system, in addition to the collapse of bombed buildings across various governorates in the Strip.
The GMO also documented the collapse of at least 13 homes; the most recent in the al-Karama and Sheikh Radwan neighborhoods in Gaza City, while Civil Defense teams continue responding to hundreds of nonstop emergency calls.
It explained that more than 27,000 tents were flooded, swept away, or uprooted by the strong winds, while more than 250,000 displaced people were affected by water, floods, and collapses, deepening the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe.
The statement stressed that what is happening today reflects a catastrophic scenario that has long been warned about, as tens of thousands of families struggle to survive inside tents that cannot withstand rain or wind, amid international silence that worsens their suffering.
The GMO added that these weather conditions come on top of a deeper humanitarian disaster caused by Israel’s siege and ongoing attacks, as it continues to close the crossings and block the entry of aid, including 300,000 urgently needed tents, mobile homes, caravans, and shelter materials.
It emphasized that these practices constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and expose hundreds of thousands of civilians to danger amid continued aggression and the absence of any protection or safe alternatives.
The GMO called on the United Nations, international organizations, US President Donald Trump, mediators, guarantors of the ceasefire agreement, friendly countries, and donor agencies to act immediately to pressure Israel to open the crossings without delay, allow the entry of shelter materials and emergency supplies, and provide the needs of Civil Defense.
It also called for urgent protection for hundreds of thousands of families affected by the storm, and for practical, binding steps to prevent the recurrence of the expected scenes of flooding and collapse in the coming hours and future storm systems.
