Image Source: CNN
World – As a harsh winter settles over Palestine, the suffering of displaced families has deepened dramatically. Cold winds, relentless rain, and severe storms are hitting communities already living without shelter, security, or necessities.
The weather has become a new layer of danger for people forced into makeshift tents after months of bombardment and displacement.
Jenin-based journalist Osama Nazzal described how the winter conditions have turned survival into a daily struggle.
He said thousands of tents across Gaza have collapsed or flooded, leaving families exposed to freezing temperatures with no means to keep warm.
“The first storm that hit Palestine… showed how vulnerable and how fragile the situation is, as most of the tents were flooded and people were just drowning in the water.”
Nazzal explained that humanitarian agencies have attempted to deliver sturdier shelters and winter protection, but these efforts have repeatedly been blocked.
Only limited aid is entering Gaza, and he said the quantities are nowhere near enough to prevent further tragedy.
“Israel did not allow access of enough humanitarian aid… all the humanitarian aid that is getting into Gaza is just like a trickling not enough.”
Escalating Settler Violence in the West Bank
While families battle the winter cold, Palestinians in the West Bank are facing a simultaneous rise in violent settler attacks.
Nazzal stressed that these assaults on villages, farmers, and rural communities are not random incidents but part of an organised campaign carried out with military support.
In many cases, settlers begin the violence, and the army intervenes only to punish Palestinians who attempt to protect their homes.
“If any Palestinian family were to defend itself against these attacks, the Israeli occupation army would interfere and detain and punish the Palestinian family.”
He warned that the campaign is intensifying in regions rich in agriculture, water, and natural resources—areas central to Palestinian livelihoods.
By creating constant instability and fear, the aim is to pressure families to abandon their land over time.
“These organised armed militias… attacked the Palestinian villages… with full backing from the Israeli occupation army.”
As the violence spreads across both Gaza and the West Bank, Nazzal said the most vulnerable have borne the most significant cost.
Raids, shootings, and nightly incursions have created an environment where even childhood is no longer safe. Families live with the daily fear that their children could be harmed at any moment.
“Children are the main target… more than 17,000 Palestinian children were targeted and killed.”
