Heavy flooding makes life more difficult for Gazans

Heavy flooding and rainfall have made life even more difficult for thousands of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip who have already lost their homes in the latest Israeli war on the besieged enclave.

On Friday, residents of some neighborhoods in the southern town of Rafah were forced to evacuate their homes with motor and paddle boats due to rising water levels.

“People are calling us for help and we are not capable of helping them after the recent war,” said Hatem al-Khur, an official in the Khuza’a municipality, east of the town of Khan Younis.
In some areas, floodwater is reaching the second floor of buildings.

Among those affected by the harsh weather were families who lost their homes during Israel’s 50-day war on Gaza in summer.

Israel started pounding Gaza in early July, inflicting heavy losses on the Palestinian land. Over 2,140 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed in the Israeli onslaught and around 11,000 others were injured.

The Israeli war ended on August 26 with an Egyptian-brokered truce that took effect following negotiations in the Egyptian capital Cairo. The ceasefire deal stipulates the ease of Israel’s seven-year-old blockade of the Gaza Strip as well as the provision of a guarantee that Palestinian demands will be met.

The Israeli regime has repeatedly violated the terms of the ceasefire deal. Palestinian sources say Israeli forces have shelled several civilian sites across Gaza.

Israeli gunboats have also opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the northern coast of Gaza. In one case, Israeli warships targeted Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of the Gaza Strip on December 3, seriously wounding a fisherman.