German development minister urges Israel to allow urgent aid into Gaza

Germany’s development minister urged the Israeli government on Tuesday to immediately permit essential humanitarian deliveries into the Gaza Strip, saying heavy rains are making already dire conditions dramatically worse. “The humanitarian situation in Gaza has long been unbearable,” Reem Alabali Radovan said in a written statement. “Strong rainfall and cold weather are further dramatically intensifying the already catastrophic living conditions,” she warned, adding that many tents are now flooded.

On food supplies, she noted that stocks are not only extremely scarce but are being damaged by moisture and poor storage, causing them to spoil and mold. Untreated wastewater is being washed onto the streets by the rain floods, she added, increasing the risk that diseases will spread. “The people of Gaza are in urgent need of comprehensive aid,” Radovan said. “The Israeli government must immediately allow the necessary supplies to enter Gaza,” she stressed.

“Food, shelter, materials for repairs, medicine, and fuel for heating are desperately needed—and they save lives,” she added. Heavy rains that began late last week caused widespread flooding across the Gaza Strip, damaging thousands of shelters and leaving stocks of tents, tarpaulins, and blankets inside the enclave exhausted, UN officials said. More than 150,000 tents remain outside Gaza awaiting entry, and the UN said Israeli approvals are urgently needed for relief and shelter items, drainage equipment, and heavy machinery to reach those affected.