At least nine Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, occurring as the United Nations issued an emergency appeal for waterproof tents. The aid is required to assist hundreds of thousands of displaced people left vulnerable by severe flooding caused by recent heavy rains.
Gaza’s Civil Defence spokesperson, Mahmoud Basal, reported that four people were killed in the early hours of Thursday during an Israeli air strike on the Nasser Medical Complex, located in western Khan Younis.
Further violence on Wednesday saw the death of 38-year-old Mohammed Salem al-Daash following an air attack in the al-Sabra neighbourhood, south of Gaza City. Additionally, Israeli forces shot and killed one person east of the al-Bureij camp in central Gaza, while a separate drone strike in the al-Nasr neighbourhood of northwest Gaza City resulted in another fatality.
In the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood north of Gaza City, a strike on a tent sheltering displaced civilians left at least two people dead and several others injured.
Reporting from Gaza City, Hind Khoudary described these incidents as indiscriminate targeting of civilians. She highlighted cases such as a man killed by a drone strike while attempting to fill a water tank, and two brothers from the al-Absi family who were killed while sheltering in a tent on al-Jalaa Street.
The humanitarian situation remains dire, with the UN reporting that at least 70,000 tents were submerged during recent storms. UNICEF stated that 106,000 people have been directly affected by the flooding, which has led to overflowing latrines and destroyed shelters. The Israeli attacks came as the UN appealed for more tents to be sent to the enclave because at least 70,000 tents were flooded in weekend rains, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.
UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq stated that aid efforts are currently hampered by funding gaps and, crucially, a lack of Israeli permits required to transport supplies into the enclave. He emphasized that the situation requires immediate cooperation from Israeli authorities. “Ultimately, we need the Israeli authorities to cooperate with giving the permissions so that we can bring those tents in,” UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters at a media briefing, adding that apart from fun.
Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, noted that some nations have delayed the delivery of winter supplies, citing the need to wait for the formation of a new Israeli government. He rejected this as an unacceptable excuse, pointing to the severe consequences of continued blockages. According to in a statement, Fletcher, Foreign ministers have assured their support, “but also repeatedly said that progress would be hard until after Israeli elections.
In response to the flooding, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced a 5 million euro ($5.5m) emergency initiative to provide immediate aid to the region.
Data provided by the Palestinian Wafa news agency indicates that the total death toll since October 7, 2023, has reached 74,653 civilians, with 176,007 Palestinians injured over the same period. Furthermore, since the ceasefire agreement began on October 11, 2025, Israel has killed 1,622 Palestinians and wounded 5,878 others. As Israel continues to restrict the entry of essential aid, nGOs and local organisations say they do not have the resources or capacity to deal with the crisis. An additional 176,007 Palestinians have been injured in the past three years.
