Emergency Plan to Evacuate 162,000 Dilapidated Tents and demolish 255 dangerous buildings in Gaza

Amid dilapidated tents and damaged homes, displaced people across the Gaza Strip are facing another winter without safe shelter, while Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement and restrictions on the entry of aid and reconstruction materials continue. The Government Media Office warned on Tuesday that the situation has turned into a humanitarian crisis, with more than 1.5 million displaced people living in tents and hundreds of buildings at risk of collapse. In a press statement, the office accused Israel of failing to fulfill its obligations under the agreement. It said that 5,147 violations had been documented, resulting in the deaths of 1,421 Palestinians and injuries to 4,983 others, while 198 civilians had also been arrested.

The office said that the continued restrictions on the delivery of aid and the movement of people were deepening the humanitarian crisis across various sectors. The figures cited in the statement highlight the connection between the lack of protection at displacement sites and the risk of being targeted, as finding a tent or returning to a damaged home is no longer enough to guarantee shelter. The scale of structural deterioration and cracks has expanded, while materials needed for repairs and housing remain unavailable. According to the Government Media Office, there are a total of 270,000 tents in the Gaza Strip, of which 162,000 are worn out and no longer usable, accounting for 60 percent of all tents. More than 1.5 million displaced people are living in conditions that provide inadequate protection from cold weather and rain.

The shelter crisis also extends to thousands of civilians living in damaged buildings that offer little or no safety. The media office warned that more than 255 buildings are at risk of collapsing at any moment, potentially causing further casualties and raising fears of a repeat of the tragedy involving the collapse of the Al-Saada building in Gaza City. The situation has left families facing an extremely difficult choice: either remain in tents that have lost their usefulness or seek shelter in damaged buildings that could collapse on their occupants. With the arrival of the rainy season, the need to provide safe alternatives and allow winter shelter supplies to enter has become increasingly urgent, while supplies remain far below the level of need outlined in the statement.

Regarding food, aid and reconstruction needs, the office said that Israel had allowed only 72,826 trucks to enter out of the 210,600 trucks that were supposed to enter under the agreement, representing a compliance rate of less than 35 percent. According to the figures in the statement, the gap between the number of trucks stipulated under the agreement and the number actually allowed to enter has exceeded 137,000. The office rejected Israeli claims regarding the delivery of supplies and blamed restrictions at the crossings for worsening the deprivation of basic necessities.

The shelter crisis is closely linked to this shortage, as the continued obstruction of aid and reconstruction materials limits families’ ability to repair what remains of their homes and prolongs their stay in displacement sites that are becoming increasingly deteriorated over time. Regarding movement, the office said that 13,785 people had been allowed to travel, while 35,000 people should have been permitted to enter and leave the Gaza Strip. It called for restrictions on the movement of patients and wounded people to be lifted, particularly given the deteriorating condition of the healthcare system.

The Government Media Office held Israel responsible for the destruction of the basic elements of life in Gaza, including attacks on the health and education systems and critical infrastructure, as well as what it described as a systematic policy of starvation and restrictions affecting various aspects of civilian life. It called on the international community, the United Nations and international organizations to intervene immediately and exert effective pressure to stop attacks on civilians, fully open the crossings allow basic necessities and winter relief supplies to enter, and facilitate the travel of patients and wounded people. In Gaza, where casualties continue despite the ceasefire agreement, the arrival of winter adds another threat to the lives of displaced people. For families living under worn-out tarpaulins or damaged roofs, continued delays in aid mean remaining completely exposed to rain, cold and the risk of building collapses.