Sand cliff collapses onto tents in Gaza, killing 5

London – A steep sand cliff collapsed onto tents housing displaced Palestinians in central Gaza on Sunday evening, resulting in the death of two women and three children and the injury of five additional individuals, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Rescue teams at the Ard El‑Rebat displacement camp in Deir Al‑Balah initially recovered a woman’s body from beneath the sand, then uncovered four further bodies, among them three children, as reported by WAFA’s correspondent.

Rescuers also extracted five injured individuals from the area and continued searching for the missing persons.

The collapse occurred amid heavy rain and strong winds that battered Gaza, causing tents to flood and shelters to be damaged throughout the territory. Palestinian media noted that the storms, which intensified late Friday, flooded approximately 70,000 tents and toppled dozens of walls.

Gaza’s Civil Defense reported receiving at least 1,500 emergency calls and warned that over 2,000 structures faced collapse risk. The agency emphasized that at least 300,000 tents would be required to supply adequate shelter for the displaced population impacted by the severe weather.

The storms have intensified Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, with aid groups alleging that Israel imposes severe restrictions on the influx of aid supplies into the war‑torn region.

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