Gaza Faces Winter Catastrophe as Aid Blocked, Rights Group Warns

The human toll in Gaza is mounting despite a ceasefire that took effect last October, with rights monitors warning that more than 1.5 million displaced people are now exposed to a new humanitarian disaster as winter sets in.

Women Journalists Without Chains said in a statement that families forced into makeshift shelters are enduring “lethal neglect,” as heavy rains and strong winds in recent weeks have torn down tents in Khan Younis and flooded hundreds more. Civil defense crews, crippled by equipment shortages, reported they were unable to respond to dozens of emergency calls from displaced families.

Local authorities estimate the territory urgently needs 250,000 tents and 100,000 prefabricated shelters to provide temporary housing. Yet Israel has barred the entry of new shelters since the ceasefire, leaving tens of thousands of people sleeping in streets, schoolyards, and overcrowded public spaces without heating, privacy, or protection from collapsing buildings.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, the death toll from the war has reached 69,483 since October 7, 2023. Rights groups say more than two million Palestinians have been displaced, many uprooted multiple times, while 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed by an estimated 150,000 tons of explosives. The devastation has left 55 million tons of rubble across neighborhoods, overwhelming rescue and relief teams.

UNRWA spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasna said hundreds of thousands remain in the open despite the agency holding shelter materials sufficient for 1.3 million people, blocked from entering the enclave. Deputy Commissioner‑General Natalie Boucly warned that families face the winter “without enough food, water, or medical supplies.”

According to figures released by Gaza’s Government Media Office, Israeli forces had struck 293 shelter centers by October 2025 — some targeted more than ten times — leaving an estimated 288,000 families without housing.

Women Journalists Without Chains accused Israel of pursuing a long‑term demographic strategy by preventing reconstruction and obstructing the return of displaced residents. The group said the forced displacement violates Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and constitutes a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute.

The organization called on the international community to press Israel to allow aid deliveries and to activate international protection mechanisms for civilians, particularly women, children, and the elderly. It also urged an independent investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed over the past two years.

“The continuation of this humanitarian catastrophe reflects a profound international failure to protect civilians,” the group said, warning that without urgent action, Gaza’s winter will become “another season of death and suffering.”