The key facts

  • A woman and four children were killed, with wounded reported; the search for the missing continues
  • The storm since Friday has flooded more than 70,000 tents and destroyed dozens of walls
  • Rescuers are working without equipment or electricity, using improvised tools

Deaths and ongoing search

In the central Gaza Strip, in Deir al-Balah, a landslide struck tents sheltering displaced Palestinians. According to the Civil Defense agency, a woman and four children were killed, and there are also wounded. As the agency's spokesman Mahmoud Basal told the Anadolu agency, spokesman of the service Mahmoud Basal, the cause of the collapse of sand and rocks was the storm. In a subsequent statement, the agency said the search for the missing is ongoing.

Conditions of the rescue work

Rescue efforts are hampered: according to an Anadolu correspondent, Civil Defense personnel and local residents are trying to reach those trapped using improvised tools, while the power outage and the lack of rescue equipment are slowing down the efforts.

Scale of the storm damage

The collapse became part of a wider disaster: heavy rain and wind have been raging in Gaza since Friday evening. According to the Government Media Office, the storm flooded more than 70,000 tents and brought down dozens of walls, causing injuries and material damage.

Context

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are forced to live in temporary shelters after their homes were destroyed during the war that began in October 2023, which Anadolu characterizes as genocidal. The outlet also notes that Israeli restrictions on the entry of construction materials and shelter items remain in place despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in effect since October 10, 2025. This assessment and characterization belong to Anadolu; no other sources are cited in this publication.