Winter hunts Gaza: Tents drown in rain.. and bitter cold gnaws at the bodies of the displaced

As the winter atmospheric depression deepens over Palestine, the rain showers, which the world awaits as good tidings, have turned into a nightmare haunting hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the Gaza Strip.

The fires of war are no longer the only threat; they have been joined by a "silent" and harsh enemy, represented by waves of bitter cold and strong winds that find no strong barrier other than worn-out fabrics and thin nylon sheets.

In the town of Beit Lahia, north of the Strip, the tragedy manifested in its worst forms; a child was injured when a cracked wall collapsed on him due to the strong winds accompanying the depression.

This incident reflects the bitter reality of thousands of families who were forced to remain in dilapidated buildings, after the occupation army destroyed their homes and prevented the entry of any building materials or even mobile homes (caravans).

As for the playgrounds and public squares, heavy rains have turned these areas into watery swamps that submerged tents, while winds uprooted others, forcing hundreds of families to go out into the open in very cold weather, searching for a dry refuge that does not exist.

Tents made of nylon and thin fabric lack the minimum elements of protection; they do not prevent water from flowing through them, nor do they ward off the bitter cold of winter that seeps into the frail bodies of children.

The absence of fuel and energy deepens the crisis; families are unable to secure any means of heating, making scarce firewood the only way to survive the night.

The continued prevention of entry of shelter materials and the deliberate abandonment of hundreds of thousands without material or health cover portends an inevitable humanitarian catastrophe.

Winter in Gaza is no longer a season for rain, but has become a season for death by hunger and cold under a roof that has no roof. The question remains in the mind of every child trembling with fear and cold: "How long will winter remain another enemy threatening what is left of our lives?"