Heavy Israeli artillery shelling in northern Gaza Strip

Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas): the occupation bears full responsibility for the catastrophe of the collapse of a sandy embankment in the tents of displaced persons in Deir al-Balah

Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas): ▪The occupation bears full responsibility for the catastrophe of the collapse of a sandy embankment in the tents of displaced persons in Deir al-Balah, which portends serious repercussions due to the continued siege and the prevention of shelter and reconstruction, and the crowding of more than two million Palestinians into one third of the area of the Strip ▪We mourn the martyrs (killed) who rose from among our people as a result of the collapse of a sandy embankment on the tents of displaced persons in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, which led to the martyrdom and injury of a number of citizens, including children and women, while search operations for missing persons continue. ▪We affirm that this tragedy is a direct result of the criminal policies imposed by the Zionist occupation on the Gaza Strip, and that it bears full responsibility for this catastrophe and for all the tragedies our people are facing, due to the continued siege and the prevention of the entry of humanitarian aid, tents and shelter supplies, and the obstruction of the entry of materials needed to repair homes and rebuild what the criminal Zionist occupation has destroyed. ▪The occupation has forced more than two million Palestinians to flee, and crowded them into less than one third of the Gaza Strip, inside overcrowded areas and shelter centers that lack the most basic safety and protection requirements, which makes the repetition of such incidents expected in light of the continued aggression, siege and difficult weather conditions. ▪The continuation of these conditions portends more humanitarian disasters, unless there is urgent intervention to stop the aggression and lift the siege, and to bring in aid, tents and construction materials necessary for repair and reconstruction, in a way that enables the displaced to return to safe and dignified homes. ▪We call on the international community, the United Nations and humanitarian institutions to assume their legal and moral responsibilities, and to move immediately to stop this escalating humanitarian catastrophe, provide protection for our Palestinian people, and ensure the delivery of urgent humanitarian needs without restrictions.

Israeli artillery shelling took place east of Gaza City

Gaza Civil Defense General Directorate: We announce the death of five citizens, including three children and two women, following the collapse of a sand mass over displaced persons' tents

Gaza Civil Defense General Directorate: ▪We announce the death of five citizens, including three children and two women, following the collapse of a sand mass over displaced persons' tents, in a tragic incident that reflects the extent of the risks faced by thousands of displaced persons who were forced to seek shelter in tents that do not provide the minimum requirements of protection and safety. ▪We affirm that this incident comes amid the catastrophic humanitarian conditions experienced by our people in the Gaza Strip, with the onset of winter and the increased risks resulting from rain and low-pressure weather systems, especially in the areas where displaced persons' tents were erected near slopes, sand تجمعات and unstable soil. ▪The loss of five lives, including children and women, under the sand represents a humanitarian tragedy that requires urgent action by international and humanitarian institutions and the relevant authorities to provide safe shelter for displaced persons and work to move the tents away from sandy areas, slopes, and sites threatened with collapse. ▪We warn citizens and displaced persons against setting up tents or remaining near sand masses and elevated earth mounds, especially during periods of rainfall, because of the real danger they pose to their lives. ▪We renew our urgent appeal to international and humanitarian institutions to provide the equipment and capabilities necessary for Civil Defense teams, and to enhance their ability to respond to incidents and disasters amid the growing risks and the limited available resources. ▪Protecting the lives of displaced persons is an urgent humanitarian responsibility, and their tents must not be turned into traps of death beneath the sand and rainwater.