Strong winds and heavy rain pummelling Gaza’s survivors

Frigid winds have blown down tents in the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of people remain homeless amid the two-week-old ceasefire.

Palestinians in the territory are enduring their second cold, wet winter since Israel’s war on Gaza started in October 2023.

Strong winds and rain are adding to people’s suffering, with thousands of families living in worn-out tents after their homes were destroyed in the bombardment.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect last month, pausing Israel’s 15-month assault. But most people found their homes destroyed or heavily damaged.

Families have since struggled to find shelter amid mounds of debris and destruction across the besieged enclave.

Authorities are pleading for temporary shelters to be allowed in, calling it the most pressing humanitarian need.

“Despite the tragedy we are living, despite the rain and the very bad weather, people are staying under no roof,” Qassem Abu Hassoun told Al Jazeera.

“Which means that people are hanging on to their country, their land. People are hanging on to even one grain of sand.”

Anwar Hellis called the struggle “more difficult for us than displacement”.

“We woke up at night and found our tents destroyed above us due to the wind and our clothes and food were filled with sand,” he said.

Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said the weather had forced many Palestinians to leave a makeshift encampment in the western part of the city.

Basic supplies such as warm clothing also are not widely available.

“People here are not only lacking shelter but also the very essential supplies that provide them some warmth and protection,” Mahmoud said.