Winter worsens plight of displaced people in Gaza amid ongoing Israeli restrictions on aid

As winter approaches, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening, with more than 1.9 million displaced people living in dilapidated tents lacking basic necessities, while Israeli authorities continue to impose strict restrictions on the entry of aid and shelter materials.

Amjad Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian Network of Non-Governmental Organizations, said on Tuesday that most of the tents are unfit even for animals, explaining that the Gaza Strip needs approximately 300,000 new tents to prevent an unprecedented humanitarian and environmental catastrophe, according to the Palestinian agency “Sond.”

He noted that Israel has not adhered to the ceasefire agreement, which stipulated the delivery of hundreds of thousands of tents and shelters, and continues to block fuel and equipment needed to remove rubble.

Government data indicated that Israel has allowed only around 3,200 aid trucks to enter out of more than 13,000 scheduled, causing a near-total paralysis of relief operations and severe shortages of fuel, food, and medicine.

UNRWA has warned that the upcoming winter will be the harshest on Palestinians in decades, while local officials described the situation in the camps as “a winter without warmth or hope,” amid fears of disease outbreaks, hunger, and deadly cold.

As crises accumulate and solutions remain absent, Gaza continues to witness a worsening humanitarian tragedy, with the international community largely silent and unable to protect civilians or lift the blockade.