Image: DW News
Occupied Palestine – Despite heavy rainfall that destroyed around 70,000 tents across Gaza, Jenin-based journalist Osama Nazzal believes that at the core of the suffering is the Israeli occupation, as it does not allow humanitarian aid or good shelter into the territory to protect displaced families. He said even tents in good condition were being kept out, and parents had no way to protect their children from the cold.
Nazzal said such disasters were to be expected for as long as the occupation and the siege on Gaza continued. Thousands of families have been without adequate shelter since winter set in, and he said the floods worsened their situation.
“But the cause for that, the core cause for that, for the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza is not the weather really, but it is the occupation.”
Storm Turns Deadly for Displaced Families
Five people, including four children, were killed overnight when large dunes collapsed onto tents during the storm. Many others were wounded. It was the first winter storm of the season, and most affected people were already displaced.
Nazzal said the scenes reminded him of the first days of the genocide. People drowned in rainwater, and women and children cried for help that did not come. He said no human being could bear what happened that night, and he placed responsibility on Israel and on governments around the world.
“Who is responsible for that? First Israel and secondly all the governments without any exception that watch what’s happening to the people of Gaza without taking any action.”
International Bodies Criticised
Aid organisations have called for urgent assistance as shortages of shelter materials and fuel put children, the elderly and the sick most at risk. Families across Gaza are still living in the rain and cold with little protection.
Nazzal criticised the Security Council, saying it served the interests of powerful states and offered oppressed people in Palestine, Africa and elsewhere only condemnations and statements.
He said that when something happens to a powerful country, its allies respond at once with military, media and economic campaigns. He called on people worldwide to speak up and pressure governments, parliaments and humanitarian organisations to end Israel’s siege on Gaza.
“Especially, we are still in Palestine on the first days of the winter season, and all that happened was due to the first winter storm. So imagine what would happen if the people keep silent as more and more storms are coming.”
