Sand collapse kills four in Gaza
Torrential rain washed away an embankment near Deir al-Balah, trapping families under sand and rubble.
By Alessia Desai ·
A sand embankment gave way in central Gaza on Sunday night, killing four people.
Heavy rain washed away a rocky bank next to a camp for displaced families south of Deir al-Balah. Medics confirmed that a woman and three children died in the collapse. The children were aged four, six, and eight. Six other people were injured.
Sohaib Abu Darbali, a witness at the scene, said the sound of the embankment falling resembled an explosion. He stated that three tents were completely covered by the falling earth. Residents could not see the people trapped underneath the debris.
Video footage verified by Reuters showed survivors using hammers to break up large sandy rocks. Others used shovels to move sand while searching for survivors with flashlights. Amal Al-Zein, 35, is a relative of the victims. She said that people who survived bombs and missiles are now dying from collapsing buildings and sand.
Local authorities reported that at least 70,000 tents flooded in the first hours after rain began on Saturday. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that more than 26,000 households reported damage to shelters or belongings. This is the fourth winter that many displaced residents have spent in temporary housing.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for Gaza's civil defence service, noted that residents often place tents near sandbanks for protection. He said that tents cannot protect people from rain or heat and that reconstruction is the only solution. Israel maintains that reconstruction cannot begin until Hamas is disarmed.
Save the Children described the flooding as entirely foreseeable. Ahmad Alhendawi, the group's regional director for the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa, said families lost their remaining belongings while children shivered in the cold without winter clothing. He added that basic items like tents and fuel are waiting at the borders because Israeli authorities are blocking their entry.
A U.S.-brokered ceasefire signed last year called for eventual reconstruction of Gaza. Negotiators have not agreed on terms for Hamas disarmament or Israeli troop withdrawal. Israeli forces currently control about two-thirds of the territory.
