Almost all Gaza residents need shelter as El Niño threatens flooding, UN agency says

Almost all of Gaza’s population needs tents or help with shelter ahead of winter, with the El Niño weather phenomenon expected to bring heavier rainfall, while supplies remain scarce due to Israeli restrictions, the UN migration agency said on Friday. The El Niño — which could be the strongest ever, according to the UN weather agency — could further weaken unsafe buildings and cause flooding amid the enclave’s heavily damaged drainage systems, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. Almost 2 million people inside the enclave, largely devastated by the war launched by Hamas in October 2023, require assistance, but only about 17% of the needs for winter shelter supplies have been met by humanitarian actors, IOM Director General Amy Pope said. “Families who have already endured repeated displacement and devastating loss must be able to face the winter in safety and dignity,” Pope said, adding that constraints by Israeli authorities are making it hard for agencies to scale up their responses. The IOM said some 8,600 emergency shelter kits, comprising wood, a tarpaulin and some basic materials, have not been allowed by Israeli authorities to enter Gaza, as they have been determined to be dual-use, meaning they could be used for military purposes by terror groups. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms COGAT, the Israeli military arm that oversees aid flows into Gaza, did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. Israel cites security concerns for its curbs on Gaza. It has also said reconstruction of the territory can not begin until Hamas disarms. A view of buildings destroyed by an Israeli airstrike late Thursday in Gaza City, October 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) IOM said they had been able to bring in some tarpaulin and tents, but that it was not enough at the current scale needed in Gaza. More than half of all tents and makeshift shelters in the enclave need replacing as they are in poor condition, the IOM said, warning that there are few alternatives with war-damaged buildings posing safety risks. Advertisement More than 3,600 structures were identified in August as dangerous and at risk of collapse, while around 1.8 million people are living in displacement sites — most in flood-risk areas, the IOM said. IDF strikes target terror operatives, weapons depots The IDF said Friday it had killed three terror operatives in separate Gaza City strikes the previous day, including two members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and a Hamas company commander. The military identified the Islamic Jihad members as Hassam Walid Hassan Abu al-Ata, a commander in the group’s rocket unit, and Magdi Moien Yousef al-Ayoubi, an operative in the group’s military wing, both killed in Gaza City. Muhammad Aja, a company commander in Hamas’s military wing, was also killed in the Gaza City coastal neighborhood of al-Furqan. The IDF said the three had recently “advanced attacks against IDF troops and operated to restore the terrorist organizations’ capabilities,” in violation of the ceasefire agreement. לאחר שקידמו מתווי טרור: צה"ל חיסל שלושה מחבלים מארגוני הטרור חמאס וגא"פ ברצועת עזה Advertisement צה"ל תקף במרחב רצועת עזה אתמול וחיסל שלושה מחבלים מארגוני הטרור גא"פ וחמאס, בהם: * חסאם וליד חסן אבו אלעטא, חוסל בעיר עזה, מפקד במחלקה הרקטית בזרוע הצבאית של ארגון הטרור גא"פ * מגדי מעין יוסף… pic.twitter.com/JuzmhCMXmm — צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 9, 2026 Also on Thursday, Israeli forces destroyed four weapons depots belonging to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in strikes across the Gaza Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet said in a joint statement. The groups had allegedly stored dozens of weapons at the sites, including rockets, explosives, mortars, AK-47 rifles and other combat equipment. According to the joint statement, advance warnings were issued to civilians and precision munitions were used in the strikes to “reduce the risk of harm.” ברחבי רצועת עזה: צה"ל ושב"כ השמידו ארבעה מחסני אמצעי לחימה של ארגוני הטרור חמאס וגא"פ לכל הפרטים???? https://t.co/2GPV4bwd14 pic.twitter.com/hVSJx2YE9B Advertisement — צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 9, 2026 In other strikes this week, the IDF said it killed at least nine Hamas operatives, including a commander involved in holding Israeli hostages captive during the war; several terrorists who took part in the Oct. 7 invasion; and two gunmen plotting attacks from inside a Gaza hospital. In all cases, the military said the men were actively planning new attacks or attempting to rebuild the terror group’s military capabilities. Over 74,200 people have been killed in Gaza since Hamas’s October 7 attacks, including more than 1,400 since an October 2025 ceasefire, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave, although the toll does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. Palestinians walk along a street surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli military strikes during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza City, October 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) The Israeli military believes that Hamas’s overall toll is largely accurate, with IDF officials estimating that two to three civilians were killed for every dead terror operative. The IDF says it has killed over 24,000 combatants in Gaza and another 1,200 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught. Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques. The October 2025 US-backed ceasefire halted major fighting in the shattered territory, but it failed to end strikes by the Israeli military, which the army says aim to thwart attacks by Hamas and other Gaza terrorists. Gaza remains bisected into Israeli- and Hamas-controlled areas. US-led efforts to reach a comprehensive deal that would see Hamas disarm and Israel withdraw have stalled amid disagreements over the process. Advertisement Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. 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Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 Anti-Israel groups urge boycott of Andrea Bocelli’s Jordan concert; he played Tel Aviv in 2022 2 ‘Traitor’: Anti-Zionist protesters rage at Mamdani at Oct. 7 coexistence event 3 PM’s ex-military secretary: Netanyahu prioritized political survival when he could have saved hostages’ lives 4 Dubai repatriation flights nixed after UAE pulls landing permit for Israeli carriers 5 Israel, UK announce last-minute deal that downgrades East Jerusalem consulate 6 Netanyahu’s former military secretary alleges attempt to alter October 7 records 7 Op-ed: Three weeks to elections As with Oct. 7, so too with Sept. 30’s flydubai attack: A failure to prevent obvious deadly threats, and a refusal to take responsibility 8 US military told to prepare for potential resumption of Iran strikes — reports read more: Israel & the Region IDF Israel Defense Forces Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad Gaza City Gaza Strip 2023-2025 Israel-Hamas war strikes IOM International Organization for Migration If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. 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