Gaza Civil Defense: 2,166 distress calls as displacement camps flood

The Palestinian Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip announced it received 2,166 distress calls since the start of the rainy low-pressure system on Friday evening. Its crews were only able to respond to 218 of them, as dozens of displacement camps, shelters, and entire residential areas were flooded with rainwater.

Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal said during a press conference on Saturday: "All areas of the Gaza Strip are now facing a new humanitarian disaster as the first rainy low-pressure system enters the Gaza Strip."

He added: "Dozens of camps, including tents and shelters, and even entire residential areas are experiencing flooding due to heavy rainwater," noting that the water level reached one and a half meters in some areas.

He explained that the General Directorate of Civil Defense declared a state of maximum emergency since Friday to deal with the repercussions of the low-pressure system and to respond to as many distress calls as possible from affected families.

Basal said: "The Civil Defense's emergency rooms have received 2,166 distress calls since the low-pressure system began," explaining that they came from citizens, administrations of displacement camps and shelters, in addition to families whose homes were damaged by Israeli shelling.

He added: "Rescue teams, in cooperation with municipalities and relevant authorities in the Strip's governorates, were able to respond to only 218 of the total distress calls," due to the huge number of calls and the inability to respond to all of them.

He continued: "For the rest, we relied on providing guidance to families facing flooding, as we were unable to respond to the massive volume of calls."

Civil Defense crews face a shortage of capabilities and equipment necessary for rescue operations, amidst the widespread destruction left by the Israeli genocidal war on the Strip.

Collapses and Buildings at Risk of Falling

In this context, Basal revealed "partial collapses in 3 buildings in the Strip due to the rain, which posed a danger to the lives of civilians."

The collapses occurred in the Nuseirat camp in the central Strip, the Zaytoun neighborhood, and central Gaza City.

He warned that "more than 2,000 buildings in the Strip are at risk of collapsing on their occupants unless the necessary equipment to deal with them is allowed in."

Earlier on Saturday, medical sources told Anadolu that 4 Palestinians were injured due to the collapse of two walls of buildings damaged by previous Israeli shelling in the northern and central Strip.

The Civil Defense also announced the evacuation of citizens from a 3-story residential building, part of which collapsed due to strong winds in the Nuseirat camp, with no injuries reported.

Warnings of Disasters

Basal warned that the repercussions of the first low-pressure system have revealed the extent of the humanitarian disaster experienced by the residents of the Strip, and portend other disasters unless there is urgent intervention.

He pointed to meteorological warnings that this year's winter season will be heavy with rain and storms, which increases the risks for displaced people living in tents and damaged buildings.

He said: "We renew our humanitarian appeal to all countries of the world that there is no room to ignore the harsh humanitarian situation suffered by citizens in the Gaza Strip."

He stressed that "there must be real pressure on the occupation to allow the entry of rescue equipment and machinery specific to winter incidents."

He also called for "effective and urgent action to bring in tents, plastic tarps, and mobile homes (caravans) to provide relief and shelter for the displaced."

He called for providing the necessary fuel to enable Civil Defense crews to respond to humanitarian interventions, which multiply during the winter season.

Basal called on "the guarantor states of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the National Committee for the Management of the Gaza Strip to stand up to their responsibilities, and intervene urgently to save the citizens who will face winter without any means to protect them from low-pressure weather systems."

70,000 Tents Flooded

Earlier, the Government Media Office in Gaza announced that 70,000 tents housing displaced people were flooded within 12 hours of the low-pressure system's onset, and dozens of walls damaged by Israeli shelling collapsed, resulting in injuries, including serious cases.

The office estimated the initial direct losses from the low-pressure system at about $3 million.

These developments come amid a deteriorating humanitarian situation for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as a result of the Israeli war of extermination that began in October 2023, leaving widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure.

Despite the ceasefire agreement in effect since October 10, 2025, shelter and reconstruction needs still exceed available aid, amidst continued Israeli violations and restrictions on the entry of necessary materials and equipment into the Strip.