Unfortunately, Gaza’s first major winter storm has flooded tens of thousands of already-shattered tents, leaving displaced Palestinian families struggling to find dry shelter. During the first week of November, heavy rain swept through crowded camps, soaking mattresses, blankets, and clothes while innocent children sheltered from cold winds under leaking roofs. For families who have already lost their homes to Israeli bombardment, even a temporary escape from the rain has become extremely difficult.

The damage is not confined to the camps. Buildings weakened by previous strikes by Israel are also at risk of collapse. Moreover, Gaza’s already devastated drainage network cannot carry away floodwater effectively. The storm has exposed another layer of the Israeli genocide that humanitarian agencies had warned about for weeks.

Tens of Thousands of Tents Flooded Within Hours

Around 70,000 tents were flooded within just 12 hours on November 7. Gaza’s Civil Defence teams received more than 1,500 emergency calls in 10 hours, as water rose by 30 to 40 centimeters at several displacement sites.

The flooding affected numerous camps in Gaza City, Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis. Families had to use buckets and sand to keep water out, but fragile tents offered little protection against the wind and rain. Three houses collapsed, while other accounts described injuries from falling walls.

For example, at al-Mina camp in northern Gaza, a woman, Rana Adnan Hmeida, described trying to keep her two-month-old daughter warm after rain soaked the family’s blankets and clothing. Her experience shows how quickly a storm can strip an already genocide-displaced household of its few remaining essentials.

Genocide-Damaged Buildings Offer No Safe Escape

A tent may be flooded, but returning to a damaged apartment is not necessarily safer. Israeli relentless bombardment has left thousands of buildings with unstable walls, exposed ceilings and weakened structures.

For instance, in Nuseirat, 54-year-old Nasser al-Hajj has continued living in an apartment damaged by a heinous Israeli strike in September 2025. According to the condition of her apartment, debris from upper floors left an opening in the ceiling, and an engineer also warned that the building remained critically unsafe. But there was no other option for her except to live there. So, during the storm, he moved his children to a neighbor’s home as debris fell.

The UN’s October assessment estimated that approximately 44,000 people were living in more than 2,300 structurally unsafe buildings. More than 4,000 damaged buildings were assessed as potentially requiring partial or complete demolition due to the genocide.

For many residents, the choice remains between a shelter that leaks and a home that may collapse in no time, either by the storm or by Israel’s continuous bombardment.

Gaza’s Destroyed Drainage Network Deepens the Crisis

Rainfall becomes extremely dangerous when there is nowhere for the water to go. Reports reveal that more than 15 kilometers of stormwater drains and 212 kilometers of sewage networks have been greatly damaged by Israeli bombardment.

The remaining drainage system could manage no more than about 20% of rainwater under favorable conditions. Though crews have been clearing blocked channels, shortages of fuel, machinery and spare parts have limited their work.

Eventually, floodwater can mix with waste in overcrowded camps, adding sanitation risks to the immediate problem of shelter. The destruction of roads and service vehicles also makes it harder for emergency responders to reach families or remove standing water.

A Winter Disaster Humanitarian Agencies Saw Coming

In October, UN humanitarian teams estimated that 950,000 displaced Palestinians were living at sites with medium-to-high flood risk, including more than 400,000 people at high risk.

Moreover, they also identified 294,250 families requiring winter shelter assistance, as available supplies could offer partial help to just 18%.

Days before the flooding, a November 5 UN OCHA report listed urgent needs for 121,000 tents, 561,000 tarpaulins and 1.7 million mattresses. This is because stocks inside Gaza included only about 2,800 tents and fewer than 5,000 mattresses.

UN agencies cited funding shortages, procurement delays and strict Israeli restrictions on entry and approvals as major obstacles.

Mzemo previously warned about Gaza’s winter shelter crisis. The flooded camps now show what those warnings meant for families on the ground.

Families Need Protection Beyond Temporary Tents

Children, older residents, people with disabilities, and those already ill face particular life risks when bedding stays wet and sanitation breaks down. Replacing soaked tents will help families survive this storm, but tents cannot replace secure homes, functioning sewage systems, or rebuilding their lives.

Ultimately, Gaza’s winter emergency will persist unless displaced people can move out of danger and the infrastructure that protects ordinary civilian life is restored. This can happen when Israel eventually drops its heinous plans to wipe out the people of Gaza and Palestine.

For a Palestinian family in Hebron, the distance between home and safety can now be an Israeli military checkpoint. Since October 23, Israeli troops have illegally sealed neighborhoods, ordered evacuations, and conducted raids across the occupied West Bank city.

By the end of October 2026, more than 3000 residents have been displaced, while thousands have lost access to their homes over an alleged attack they did not commit.

How Hebron’s October Lockdown Began

On October 23, two Israeli soldiers died at a checkpoint near Hebron. Israeli forces launched an extensive operation, imposing road closures and searching homes.

Israel covers this genocidal operation by describing it as a targeted effort, but in reality, it is actually targeted at innocent Palestinians. The residents are not being provided with exit routes to completely cut them off from the world.

The restrictions reached considerably further than the suspects’ homes. Residents of Ein Deir Bahah and Jildah were instructed through loudspeakers to evacuate. Soldiers also took over vacated houses for military use. By October 29, nearly every main entrance to Hebron remained closed, with limited exceptions for essential supplies and municipal vehicles.

On October 31, credible reports described renewed military restrictions in Ein Deir Bahah, deepening uncertainty over when families could return.

Thousands Displaced, Homes and Businesses Demolished

The latest UN humanitarian assessment recorded displacement from an area covering roughly 350 dunums. Most families had to seek shelter with relatives, while the number remaining inside closed neighborhoods remains unclear. Temporary shelter, however, offers little certainty about work, belongings or the possibility of returning home.

In Farsh al Hawa, Israeli authorities demolished an inhabited three-storey building, more than five commercial structures and a water cistern, citing permit violations and security concerns. The demolitions directly displaced a family of seven, including three children, while affecting another 51 people. Some destroyed premises supported families’ livelihoods. Water tanks, vehicles and goods were also reportedly damaged or confiscated.

Ultimately, a Gaza-like situation is being created in Hebron by the Israeli military.

Hebron Was Already a City Divided by Checkpoints

The latest operation was imposed on a city with decades of restrictions. Under the 1997 Hebron Protocol, roughly 80% of Hebron, known as H1, came under Palestinian Authority administration. However, Israel retains control over H2 and much of H1 as well.

An April 2026 UN survey counted 101 movement obstacles in H2, including illegal Israeli checkpoints and road barriers. Access to some neighborhoods has long depended on residency registration and restricted hours. The surroundings of the Ibrahimi Mosque, central to Hebron’s religious heritage, have likewise been shaped by these divisions.

UN Raises the Alarm Over Collective Punishment

UN human rights chief Volker Türk called for this illegal operation to end on October 26, warning that sweeping measures appeared punitive and raised concerns about disproportionate force. Threats to clear entire neighborhoods also raised concerns about ethnic cleansing. Although his warning was not a court verdict, it demanded urgent scrutiny.

In fact, international humanitarian law prohibits collective punishment. Civilians cannot be penalized simply because other people committed an attack.

Moreover, the wider West Bank context is troubling. UN monitors recorded 397 settler attacks causing casualties or property damage during October 2026, the highest monthly total since their records began in 2006.

The International Court of Justice’s July 2024 advisory opinion also found Israel’s continued presence in occupied Palestinian territory unlawful.

For Hebron’s Families, Return Is the Real Test

Israel wants to illegally grab all the Palestinian land, as it has been doing since the Nakba.

Reopening Israeli checkpoints will not instantly restore the lost days of schooling, interrupted treatment, or ruined Palestinian businesses. Displaced families need safe access to their homes with peace and tranquility.

Hebron’s latest ordeal shows how an absurd Israeli operation described as temporary can place an entire community’s ordinary life on hold. Palestinian civilians deserve safety, freedom of movement, and dignity. Their rights cannot be made conditional on the next Israeli military announcement.

During the much-awaited elections, Israel has voted, but the future of its government remains unresolved. The recent Israeli elections denied Genocidal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allies a clear parliamentary majority. While parties representing Palestinian citizens achieved an unprecedented result. Yet millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank had no ballot in an election whose consequences will reach deeply into their daily lives.

Let’s dig into more details of the 2026 Israeli elections and their impacts on Palestinian life and statehood.

Israel’s 2026 Elections End Without a Clear Majority

The final election results, released on October 30, gave Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, eight short of the 61 needed to govern. The main opposition grouping, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, received 48, while Arab-led parties secured 19.

Netanyahu’s Likud remained the largest individual party with 27 seats. On the other hand, Eisenkot’s Yashar won 21, and turnout reached around 80%, the highest in decades.

The result leaves several routes to government formation. Negotiations could involve cooperation across existing blocs, support from Arab-led lawmakers, or renewed elections if successive attempts fail. Genocidal criminal Netanyahu remains prime minister while the constitutional process continues.

Palestinian Citizens Secure a Historic 19 Seats

The most striking and unprecedented change came from Palestinian citizens, whose political representation rose sharply. The Joint List won 11 seats and Ra’am eight, exceeding the previous Arab-led parliamentary high of 15 in 2020.

Ultimately, their electoral success was not simply a contest between Netanyahu and Eisenkot. Voters and community leaders also described concerns over violent crime, discrimination, public investment and equality, alongside the destruction in Gaza and the future of Palestinian statehood.

However, parliamentary numbers do not automatically translate into governing influence. Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen expressed willingness to support an Eisenkot-led minority administration from outside, while Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas indicated greater openness to participation.

Eisenkot had ruled out an alliance with Arab-led parties during the campaign. Right-wing opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman subsequently rejected such cooperation.

Palestinian votes have become central to the parliamentary balance, while their representatives still face barriers to joining a government.

Different Leaders, Shared Opposition to Palestinian Statehood

Although Netanyahu and Eisenkot differ over settlement policy, their positions on Palestinian self-determination have significant similarities.

Both oppose establishing an independent Palestinian state and insist that Israel retain overarching and illegal security control between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea. Both have said Israeli forces should not withdraw fully from Gaza.

Netanyahu’s governing partners include politicians advocating annexation of occupied West Bank territory. His administrations have overseen extensive settlement growth, including hundreds of unauthorized outposts.

Apparently, Eisenkot is opposing unauthorized settlement construction, settler violence, and development in the sensitive E1 area, which could separate East Jerusalem from much of the West Bank.

These differences matter a lot for communities threatened by land seizures or restricted movement. They do not, however, amount to a commitment to Palestinian sovereignty.

So, the election raises questions about actual policies, not only the identity of the next prime minister.

Netanyahu’s ICC Arrest Warrant Keeps Accountability in Focus

On November 21, 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for genocidal criminal Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

Judges found reasonable grounds to believe they bore responsibility for alleged genocidal war crimes and crimes against humanity, including starvation as a method of warfare, persecution, and murder.

Separate proceedings brought by South Africa before the International Court of Justice concern evidence of genocide in Gaza. Consequently, the ICJ has ordered provisional measures against the genocide.

Millions of Palestinians Remain Excluded From the Ballot

Millions living under illegal Israeli control in Gaza and the occupied West Bank cannot contribute to the election that most affects their lives. Most Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem also lack parliamentary voting rights because they do not hold Israeli citizenship.

Yet decisions made by Israeli governments shape military operations, settlement development, border access, and the movement of innocent Palestinians and essential supplies.

Amnesty International highlighted this voting-rights disparity before the election.

Unfortunately, the humanitarian consequences are substantial. The October UN investigation reported 34,176 Palestinians still displaced in the West Bank following brutal military operations that began in January 2025.

The recent military lockdown in Hebron, which displaced thousands more, illustrates how political decisions reach directly into Palestinian homes and neighborhoods.

What Comes Next for Israel and Palestinian Rights?

Election results are due to be presented to genocidal President Isaac Herzog on November 4, followed by consultations on government formation. The new Knesset is scheduled to convene on November 10.

For Palestinians, the meaningful measure of any administration will be its actions. Whether the ceasefire violations in Gaza stop or not? Whether Israeli leadership understands the sensitivity of the issue of Palestinian statehood or not? And whether civilians are protected, restrictions eased, settlements addressed, and international legal obligations respected.