Khaberni - 14 Palestinians were martyred due to rain and cold in Gaza, and more than 15 houses have collapsed since the onset of the Byron weather depression. Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution demanding Israel - as the occupying power - to allow the immediate and unconditional entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
Sources in Gaza hospitals said, "14 people, including 6 children, died due to the cold and more than 15 houses collapsed in several areas of Gaza City," while the displaced struggle in their dilapidated tents to protect their children from the harsh cold with almost non-existent facilities and capabilities.
An Al Jazeera correspondent reported the collapse of a multi-story building in the Beit Lahia Housing Project in northern Gaza Strip without any injuries, while ambulance and civil defense crews retrieved the bodies of 4 Palestinians, including two children, following the collapse of a house in the Bir al-Najah area in northern Gaza Strip.
Since the day before yesterday, Thursday, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are living in difficult times inside dilapidated tents across different areas of Gaza, with the continuing impact of the Byron depression on the sector, where rainwaters flooded and torrents and winds uprooted more than 27,000 tents, according to a statement from the Government Media Office in Gaza.
Tragic conditions
In this regard, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said that more than 140,000 people have been affected by the heavy rains that flooded over 200 displacement sites in the Gaza Strip.
Haq emphasized the need to lift the restrictions imposed on the entry of aid into the Strip, stressing the necessity to lift the ban on the operations of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Meanwhile, UNICEF spokesperson for Palestine Jonathan Kricks said, "There is an urgent need to introduce more aid to the Gaza Strip," calling for mobilizing support for this purpose.
Kricks, in a talk to Al Jazeera, stressed the importance of intensifying the entry of clothes and tents into the Strip.
In turn, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) stated that what enters Gaza of shelter necessities does not meet the minimal requirements, nor does it protect from rain and cold.
Hamas added that the martyrdom of Palestinians in Gaza due to the flooding of tents, cold, and collapses confirms that the genocide war is ongoing, even if its tools have changed.
The depression comes at a time when the displaced live in tragic conditions due to the lack of life necessities and difficulty in accessing basic supplies and the decline of vital services due to the Israeli blockade.
About 250,000 families live in displacement camps in the Gaza Strip, facing cold and floods inside dilapidated tents, according to previous statements by civil defense.
UN resolution
Politically, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution demanding Israel - as the occupying power - to allow the immediate and unconditional entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, ensuring the provision of food, water, medicine, and shelter for the people of the occupied Palestinian territories, with respect for the privileges of the UN and international organizations.
The resolution - drafted by Norway - emphasizes the necessity of protecting medical and relief teams, preventing forced displacement, starving civilians, and obstructing the work of the UN.
Despite two months since the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, Israel still obstructs the flow of humanitarian aid to the Strip until now.
The numbers indicate that what Israel currently allows to enter is less than the minimum required to meet the needs of 2.4 million people living in the Gaza Strip.
In related context, a statement issued by the foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan emphasized the indispensable role of UNRWA in protecting the rights of Palestinian refugees and caring for them.
The statement condemned the Israeli forces' raid on the UNRWA headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem, describing it as an unacceptable escalation and a blatant violation of international law.
It affirmed that UNRWA's role is irreplaceable, emphasizing the essential role it undertakes in the distribution of aid in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli outrage
On the other hand, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the UN General Assembly's call for Israel to cooperate with what it called "UNRWA Hamas" proves once again that it is a morally corrupted body, according to its expression.
The ministry claimed that numerous documents and videos confirm the participation of UNRWA staff in the events of October 7, 2023, an accusation that the agency has repeatedly denied.
On its part, the US State Department said that the UN General Assembly "once again adopted a non-serious resolution that shows bias against Israel," according to its expression.
The State Department added in a statement that the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly came at the expense of actual diplomacy within the organization, noting that the General Assembly chose to propose "a divisive and politicized resolution based on false claims."
It stated that the resolution confirms that Israel must implement incorrect and misleading conclusions of an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, adding that advisory opinions are not a basis for legislation, and using them constitutes mockery of international law.
The genocide war initiated by Israel on October 8, 2023, supported by the US and lasting two years resulted in more than 70,000 Palestinian martyrs and over 171,000 injuries, and massive destruction affecting 90% of civilian infrastructure, with initial losses estimated at about 70 billion dollars.
