Fletcher urges end to collective punishment in Gaza as 150,000 tents remain outside

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher called for all Gaza crossings to be opened, describing the wait for a new Israeli government to be formed as “an unacceptable excuse.” The United Nations said more than 150,000 tents are ready to enter but are awaiting Israeli approvals.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher called for an end to what he described as “collective punishment” of residents of the Gaza Strip after heavy rains flooded thousands of tents housing displaced people. In a statement published by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Fletcher said: “Lives have been lost, and people are once again at grave risk.”

Fletcher said the international organization had been warning for months about shortages of winter supplies in Gaza and that foreign ministers of member states had pledged to support it, but elections in Israel had slowed the process. He added: “We are now being told that we must wait for the government to be formed. For anyone who has any doubt about international humanitarian law, this is not an acceptable excuse.”

مخيم للنازحين غمرته مياه الأمطار في قطاع غزة

“No more delays”

The UN official said what made the situation even more infuriating was that the current weather would not have posed a danger if suitable shelters and basic winter supplies had been available and Palestinians had been allowed to reach open areas less vulnerable to flooding. He said the United Nations had drawn up a plan weeks ago to secure the required supplies, but Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid remained in place.

Fletcher issued a direct appeal: “No more delays. Open all the crossings, not just one crossing. Allow our key nongovernmental organization partners to operate, and allow commercial markets to function. Stop this collective punishment and fund the plan. End this foreseeable and avoidable suffering. The world is not powerless here.”

150,000 tents await approval

For his part, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said at his daily press briefing that more than 150,000 tents purchased by humanitarian partners and member states were waiting outside Gaza, ready for shipment, stressing the urgent need for funding and Israeli approvals.

Haq explained that, in addition to tents, the Gaza Strip needed suction trucks, mobile pumps to drain water, engine oils, hoses and heavy machinery. He added: “We need the cooperation of the Israeli authorities in granting permits. There should be no delay while people, including children, are drowning in floodwaters.”

أطفال فلسطينيون يسيرون قرب خيام النازحين في غزة

According to Gaza’s Government Media Office and Civil Defense, water had inundated around 70,000 tents and all displaced-persons camps since the low-pressure system began on November 6. Nabil Fahmy, secretary-general of the League of Arab States, said the rains had destroyed 40,000 shelters and 70,000 tents and harmed more than 200,000 Palestinians, announcing the launch of the “Emergency Humanitarian Relief Network” initiative.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health says 1,622 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire was announced in October 2025, while around 2.15 million displaced people are living in harsh shelter conditions after more than 80 percent of the buildings in the Strip were destroyed.

Photos: Anadolu

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Fletcher urges end to collective punishment in Gaza as 150,000 tents remain outside