‘Israel’ claims it allowed “additional” aid into Gaza to ease winter suffering

‘Israel’ said it has allowed additional winter humanitarian supplies into Gaza following pressure from the Board of Peace, but critics and aid agencies say the response falls short of urgent needs after recent flooding.

‘Israel’s’ Prime Minister’s Office claimed that despite “Hamas’s refusal to disarm,” ‘Israel’ has facilitated a winterization plan coordinated with the Board of Peace, the United Nations, international organizations, and donor countries.

“Israel has allowed additional humanitarian supplies into Gaza to ease the winter conditions facing the people of Gaza,” Netanyahu’s office claimed in a statement.

According to the military and COGAT, more than 91,000 tents and over 8,200 trucks carrying tarpaulins, blankets, winter clothing, and other supplies have entered the Strip.

Additional measures include 12 sewage vacuum trucks for the International Committee of the Red Cross, repairs to water and sewage networks, fuel for pumping facilities, approved vaccine doses for UNICEF, and mobile clinics.

The announcement came after the US-backed Board of Peace described ‘Israel’s’ steps as “insufficient” and called for immediate action.

Heavy rains over the weekend flooded tens of thousands of tents, with more than 70,000 affected in some reports, and a sand embankment collapse in the Deir al-Balah area killing at least five people, including children.

The Board said it was “deeply concerned by the severe seasonal flooding” and urged ‘Israel’ to “act immediately to authorize and facilitate the entry of all necessary winterization and humanitarian supplies.”

It noted that delays had “exacerbated the consequences of a foreseeable humanitarian challenge.”

Aid organizations and UN updates paint a bleaker picture of conditions on the ground.

OCHA reported that partners received appeals from more than 26,000 households whose shelters or belongings were damaged, with more than 6,000 family shelters destroyed, 17,400 damaged, and over 3,900 households left without shelter.

About 1.4 million people—roughly 65 percent of Gaza’s population—continue living in tents or makeshift shelters.

Stocks of tents, tarpaulins, blankets, and clothing inside Gaza are nearly exhausted, while more than 150,000 tents procured by partners and member states remain outside the territory awaiting entry.

Mobile homes, which many aid groups consider essential for proper winter protection, continue to be barred.

Residents and humanitarian workers describe ongoing hardship.

Displaced families report flooded tents, soaked belongings, and limited options for dry shelter as colder weather approaches.

The Board of Peace and several countries, including Australia, Denmark, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, have pressed ‘Israel’ to ease restrictions on dual-use items and expand the flow of shelter, sanitation, drainage, and related supplies.

The gap between ‘Israeli’-approved aid and what reaches vulnerable populations remains wide, leaving many Gazans exposed as winter sets in.