Amnesty International calls Gaza floods “utterly preventable tragedy”
Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s senior director for research, advocacy, policy, and campaigns, said the widespread flooding of tents and collapsed buildings “cannot be blamed solely on bad weather.” She added: “They are the foreseeable consequences of Israel’s ongoing genocide and deliberate policy of blocking the entry of shelter and repair materials for the displaced.”
The statement stressed that Israel has only allowed extremely limited supplies into Gaza, continuing to “deliberately inflict on Palestinians…conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction – an act prohibited under the Genocide Convention.”
Rosas emphasized that the storm’s devastation “provides yet another wakeup call to the international community, paid for with the lives of people who had managed to survive two years of Israel’s ongoing genocide.”
Amnesty urged the international community to act immediately, pressing Israel to end the blockade and lift restrictions on life-saving supplies, including shelter materials, nutritious food, and medical aid, so Gaza can prepare for harsh winter conditions.
The group highlighted that after repeated displacements, damage to at least 81% of structures, and the designation of nearly 58% of Gaza as no-go zones, most Palestinians are now living in dilapidated tents or damaged shelters. Mohammed Nassar, father of Lina (18) and Ghazi (15), who died when their severely damaged home collapsed on Dec. 12, said: “I still cannot digest the thought that we survived the bombardment only for my children to be crushed as a result of the storm.”
UNRWA also warned that Storm Byron has worsened already dire conditions, leaving thousands of tents soaked and exposing families to the cold without adequate shelter. The agency estimates that Gaza needs around 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to meet basic shelter needs following years of destruction.
Israel’s two-year military campaign in Gaza killed more than 70,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave’s infrastructure. Despite a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October, Palestinians report ongoing Israeli violations, with at least 393 people killed and 1,074 injured since the ceasefire, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Amnesty noted that the Israeli Prime Minister is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. This week, the ICC appeals chamber rejected Israel’s legal attempt to block an investigation into its actions in the Palestinian territory.
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