IDF says winter supplies delivered amid flooding, but Board of Peace says Israel must do more

Israel says winter supplies delivered to Gaza amid flooding; Board of Peace says it must do more

After storms flood thousands of tents, US-backed body faults Israel for delays in humanitarian efforts, and Hamas for refusing to disarm, warns of more setbacks to 2025 peace plan

The US-backed Board of Peace on Monday issued a pointed statement pressing Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza after rain flooded thousands of tents in the war-torn enclave.

The IDF said tens of thousands of tents and other winter supplies have entered Gaza. It has blamed Hamas and the United Nations for holdups in assistance.

The Board of Peace’s statement, however, blamed the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the stagnation in the Strip, where Hamas still holds all of its weapons and rules almost all Gazans. It simultaneously blamed the terror group for refusing to disarm, which the statement said makes it harder to provide for the civilian population.

The international body tasked with overseeing Gaza’s postwar reconstruction said it was “deeply concerned by the severe seasonal flooding that has struck Gaza over the past two days,” calling it “an immediate humanitarian emergency.”

Earlier, the Israeli military said it was continuing to enable supplies to enter Gaza after the tent camps were flooded. It placed blame at the feet of Hamas.

“While Hamas refuses to disarm and continues to exploit civilian areas and humanitarian aid for terrorist activity, the IDF and COGAT are proactively working to improve the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip ahead of winter,” the military said in an English-language statement, referring to the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, which oversees the delivery of aid.

In Gaza, rains flooded more than 70,000 tents over the weekend, affecting tens of thousands of displaced people and causing injuries. The collapse of a sand embankment at a displacement camp in the Deir al-Balah area of the central Gaza Strip killed at least five.

The Hamas-run civil defense agency said it had received 1,500 distress calls from displaced residents. Three abandoned houses collapsed without causing injuries, it added.

At a tent encampment in Gaza City, some people tried to repair their tents, while others used sand to reinforce them and prevent water from entering.

“The urgent entry and distribution of essential shelter, sanitation, drainage, and other winterization supplies is critical to protecting civilian lives,” said the Board of Peace, warning against “preventable humanitarian emergencies.”

The Board, which was founded as part of the October 2025 ceasefire in the Strip, said it had “specifically urged the Israeli government to authorize the entry of essential materials for temporary shelter, water and sanitation infrastructure, waste management, drainage, and sewage removal, and to abide by its commitments under the Sharm El-Sheikh Humanitarian Protocol,” signed upon the ceasefire taking effect.

“At the same time, we have repeatedly pressed Hamas to agree to lay down its arms, relinquish governing authority, and fulfill its obligations under the Plan,” it said, referring to US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan to disarm Hamas. “These failures to act have impeded progress and compounded the challenges facing Gaza’s civilian population.”

The Board acknowledged “the steps now being considered by the Israeli government,” but emphasized that “the response remains insufficient.”

Israel continues to ban the entry of mobile homes, which aid groups say are essential for protecting displaced residents from heavy rainfall and winter conditions.

Statement by the Board of Peace on Recent Flooding and Urgent Winterization Needs in Gaza pic.twitter.com/lWxKhPxGeH

— Board of Peace (@BoardOfPeace) November 9, 2026

The Board of Peace called on the Netanyahu government “to act immediately to authorize and facilitate the entry of all necessary winterization and humanitarian supplies, and to fully implement its commitments under the President’s Comprehensive Peace Plan.”

The Board said that Israeli delays “have exacerbated the consequences of a foreseeable humanitarian challenge and significantly delayed the start of the decommissioning of weapons and transfer of authority from Hamas to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza,” the Palestinian technocratic body meant to govern the Strip.

Top Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov and its senior executive Tony Blair were in Israel last week to press Netanyahu to move forward on Trump’s Gaza plan now that the Israeli elections have passed.

Already in August, Mladenov sounded the alarm over Israel’s restrictions on shelter equipment, calling Jerusalem’s policy “unacceptable.”

IDF says 91,000 tents have entered Gaza

The IDF said that, with COGAT, it has been “advancing a winter preparedness plan in coordination with the Board of Peace and in cooperation with the UN, international organizations, and donor countries.”

“Since the implementation of the plan began, more than 91,000 tents and over 8,200 trucks carrying tarpaulins, blankets, winter clothing, and other additional supplies have entered the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said.

Additionally, the IDF and COGAT said they are “advancing projects to improve water and sanitation infrastructure, including sewage removal and improvements to water networks, as well as facilitating the entry of 12 sewage vacuum trucks for the International Committee of the Red Cross.”

In the medical sector, the military said the entry of 7,500 vaccine doses for UNICEF and three mobile clinics for the International Medical Corps were approved, “alongside medications, medical equipment, and fuel for hospitals and medical facilities throughout the Strip.”

“The IDF and COGAT have approved more than 850 requests covering tens of thousands of trucks, carrying winter-specific supplies: shelter, water, sanitation, and healthcare,” the statement said.

The military said that around half of the approved requests have not yet been carried out, because “the UN and international organizations have yet to transfer the requested equipment into the Strip, partly due to logistical and budgetary challenges unrelated to Israel.”

Israel has banned the entry of some equipment into Gaza, and has said it will not allow reconstruction work to begin until Hamas agrees to disarm and relinquish control of the enclave.

The military, in its statement, said that “the UN and international organizations acknowledge that they cannot guarantee that certain equipment they seek to bring into Gaza will not reach Hamas,” and that the IDF and COGAT “cannot ignore the known risk of terrorist organizations rebuilding their capabilities.”

“Accordingly, the IDF and COGAT are reviewing the equipment and advancing alternatives that will address humanitarian needs while minimizing the possibility of its exploitation by Hamas,” the statement added.

The Times of Israel Community.