‘A slow genocide accelerated’: How Gaza’s winter ‘crisis’ is manufactured by Israel

Storms have flooded tents and damaged buildings in Gaza, where families lack adequate shelter. The article reports the death of six-month-old Ehab Mohammad Hamad from exposure after his family’s tent flooded, and argues that Israel’s restrictions on aid and building materials are worsening a recurring winter emergency.

About 1.4 million people are sheltering in makeshift structures, tents or buildings at risk of collapse. The UN says 150,000 tents are waiting outside Gaza for approval to enter; shelter-aid truck deliveries fell from 908 in December 2025 to 409 in January 2026. A shelter assessment classified 94 per cent of Gaza’s population as facing crisis-level or worse shelter conditions, while restrictions on aid and international organisations impede relief.