Hamas has issued a stark warning of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip after a powerful winter storm flooded refugee camps, turning densely packed displacement areas into mud-filled swamps and leaving families exposed to freezing temperatures.

In a statement on Friday, the Movement said the images emerging from across Gaza — collapsed tents, soaked bedding, and thousands of displaced Palestinians forced into the open — reflect the unbearable reality created by Israel’s ongoing siege and the destruction inflicted over the past year.

Hamas said Israel bears full responsibility for the “catastrophic scene created by the criminal Zionist occupation,” stressing that the blockade has prevented the entry of shelter materials, winter equipment, and emergency aid. The Movement warned that delays in international intervention could lead to further casualties among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians already struggling to survive with no protection from the cold.

According to Hamas, entire families have been left without proper tents or heating as freezing rain swept through makeshift camps. “The absence of the most basic necessities threatens everyone with death,” the statement said, urging all ceasefire guarantors, the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to act immediately to deliver medical, humanitarian, and shelter supplies.

Civil Defense: Tents Destroyed, Hospitals Flooded, No Equipment Left

Mahmoud Bseil, spokesperson for the Gaza Civil Defense, said in a press briefing that the storm’s early hours caused widespread flooding across multiple shelters, severely damaging thousands of tents. Many families awoke to water pouring into their sleeping areas, soaking clothes, blankets, and any remaining belongings.

Bseil stressed that Civil Defense teams are unable to mount a full emergency response because Israeli forces have destroyed nearly all of Gaza’s rescue and flood-control equipment over the course of the war. “We can only evacuate people and remove immediate threats,” he said. “We cannot handle the scale of destruction we’re seeing.”

He reported that an entire floor at the Patient’s Friends Hospital — where many children are housed — was flooded, and Civil Defense teams were unable to intervene due to the dangerous conditions. Municipal services, he added, are collapsing under the pressure of the siege and continued bombardment, leaving Gaza reliant on what he described as “primitive” resources.

Storms Could Cause Structural Collapse in War-Damaged Homes

With more storms forecast in the coming weeks, authorities warn that homes already weakened by months of Israeli attacks may collapse under heavy rain or water infiltration. Bseil said that without urgent international assistance, the winter could bring another wave of preventable deaths among civilians who have already endured more than a year of siege and displacement.

“Gaza is facing an extremely catastrophic and dire situation,” he said. “These painful scenes require immediate international action to end the suffering of Gaza’s people and save lives.” (ILKHA)