Latest news Severe thunderstorm in Israel and Gaza
According to Palestinian reports, many tents in the extensively destroyed Gaza Strip are flooded after hours of rain. A storm is currently bringing heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
10.12.2025, 17:55
SDA
The many people living in makeshift tent camps in the Gaza Strip are particularly affected by the storm. Meanwhile, several Israelis traveling on a yacht in the Mediterranean are missing.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa, among others, reported that tents in the Gaza Strip were flooded with water. The inhabitants there are already living in very precarious conditions. Footage circulating in the media and on social networks is said to show people in the Gaza Strip trying to free their homes from masses of water using buckets and pots. Palestinians, including children, can also be seen standing barefoot ankle-deep in water or mud.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported, citing aid workers on the ground, that many tents had collapsed, forcing people to seek shelter in public buildings, which were often overcrowded and unheated.
Storm causes fear among Gaza residents
Ahmed Abu Ramad told the German Press Agency that he had been worried that his tent in the south of the coastal area might collapse. "I held on to the main pole with my bare hands all night," said the 42-year-old. Meanwhile, his wife held their five children close to her to keep them warm. Water had entered their home from all sides.
33-year-old Maha al-Sein, who says she lives with her family in a room in a partially collapsed building in the city of Gaza, also spent the whole night in fear. Her children asked her if the ceiling was going to collapse.
Another Palestinian reported that during an earlier storm, the wind had torn away his family's tent and belongings. The news of the current storm had therefore caused fear, especially among his children. "We live from day to day and never know whether we will wake up the next morning and still have a roof over our heads," says the 55-year-old from Deir al-Balah, which is located in the central part of the Gaza Strip.
Contact re-established with missing Israelis
According to Israeli media, several Israelis were temporarily missing who had been heading towards Cyprus on their yacht. The storm had previously raged there. After several anxious hours, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that the Cypriot authorities had re-established contact with the missing Israelis. "The ship is on its way back to Israel," the statement said.
According to Israeli reports, an airplane from Cyprus with Israelis on board, which was on its way to Israel, also had to cross Lebanese airspace due to the storm. Israel and Lebanon are officially in a state of war.
The storm is expected to continue until Friday.
