A devastating winter storm compounded Gaza's humanitarian emergency this week, claiming two lives and displacing thousands as diplomatic efforts to extend the fragile ceasefire face mounting challenges. The region's Civil Defense confirmed a seven-year-old child drowned in a flooded well and a 30-year-old woman perished in a wall collapse during Sunday's torrential rains.
Infrastructure Collapse Accelerates
Emergency teams responded to over 50 flooded displacement camps across central Gaza, where makeshift tents proved no match for the elements. Deir al-Balah Mayor Nizar Ayyash described camps turning into 'muddy swamps,' with municipal resources overwhelmed by the scale of destruction.
Ceasefire Talks at Critical Juncture
The crisis unfolds as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss implementing Phase Two of the October 2025 ceasefire agreement. Key sticking points remain Hamas' refusal to disarm and Israel's demand for full return of soldiers' remains.
Humanitarian Time Bomb
Gaza's emergency operations room warns 200,000 prefabricated housing units are urgently needed to prevent mass exposure deaths. UN data shows over 75% of temporary shelters sustained storm damage, with temperatures expected to plunge further this week.
While violence has decreased since the October truce, sporadic clashes continue – Gaza health officials report 400 Palestinian fatalities from Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began, while Palestinian militants have killed three Israeli soldiers.
