Alaa al-Batta, mayor of Khan Younis and deputy head of the Union of Gaza Strip Municipalities, said on Sunday that thousands of displaced Palestinians are trapped in worn-out tents offering no protection from the biting cold or scorching heat.
He said the camps lack the most basic necessities, suffering from severe shortages of water and sanitation, making life there “almost impossible.”
According to official figures, 93% of the tents are no longer fit for habitation.
More than 900,000 residents and tens of thousands of people forcibly displaced from Rafah are crowded into the Khan Younis area, living in unbearable conditions.
Al-Batta added that the area urgently needs new tents, cement, and spare parts for heavy machinery to rebuild the shattered infrastructure.
Earlier, Amjad al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGOs Network, said around 55 million tons of rubble and debris from destroyed homes, facilities, and infrastructure—caused by the Israeli regime’s two-year campaign of destruction against Gaza—are blocking relief operations and delaying shelter construction.
He stressed that the massive debris prevents humanitarian organizations from delivering essential aid, especially in Gaza City, northern Gaza, and eastern Khan Younis, where roads remain heavily blocked.
“There is vast destruction in infrastructure, particularly in water and sewage networks, and we lack the heavy machinery needed to remove the rubble and restore life to critical areas,” he said.
Al-Shawa noted that Gaza “literally needs everything,” with no adequate shelter materials available.
At least 300,000 new tents are urgently required, especially as winter approaches and existing tents continue to deteriorate.
He added that around 1.5 million Palestinians have lost their homes during the war, with 90% of houses either fully or partially destroyed.
Most people now live in unsafe ruins or torn tents unfit for human habitation.
In blatant violation of the ceasefire, the Israeli regime’s army launched fresh overnight artillery strikes on eastern Khan Younis, eastern Gaza City, and Jabalia in northern Gaza.
News reports said Israeli occupation forces also shelled northern Beit Lahia and several areas in eastern Gaza, inflicting further destruction on Palestinian homes.
The relentless bombardment of Gaza’s north and south continues to worsen the humanitarian catastrophe imposed by the regime’s siege and war.