Gaza’s beaches, once a destination for day trips, have become makeshift homes for tens of thousands displaced by the war. Forced from their homes, many now live along the coastline, battling harsh new challenges as winter sets in.
In recent days, the pounding winter seas have destroyed fragile shelters. “Nothing is left in the tent: not mattresses, bedding, bread—everything was taken by the sea,” says Mohammed al-Halabi from Deir al-Balah. “We even rescued a two-month-old baby who was swept out to sea.”
According to the UN, nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are displaced, with nine out of ten living in tents. As temperatures plummet, illnesses are spreading rapidly. Heavy rains have led to flooding, mixing rainwater with sewage.
“My children’s feet, their heads—everything is freezing,” says Shaima Issa in Khan Younis. “My daughter has a fever from the cold. We’re essentially living on the streets, surrounded by strips of fabric. Everyone is sick and coughing.”
Her neighbor, Salwa Abu Nimer, tearfully recounts the impact of the rain: “When it rains, we’re drenched. The heavy rain floods us, and we don’t have waterproof covers. The water seeps into the tent, and we wear our clothes wet.”
“No flour, no food, no drink, no shelter,” she adds. “What kind of life is this? I’d go to the ends of the earth just to feed my children.”
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deepen, with UN officials warning of severe shortages of medicine, food, shelter, and fuel, describing the situation as “catastrophic.”
In central and southern Gaza, where most of the population has taken refuge, long queues form daily for charity handouts. Local footage shows hundreds of people crowding outside bakeries with scarce supplies of bread. At times, the desperate surge forward, creating crushes.
“I need a loaf of bread,” says Hanan al-Shamali, originally from northern Gaza but now in Deir al-Balah. “I suffer from pain, diabetes, and high blood pressure. I can’t push through these crowds—I’m afraid I’ll suffocate and die.”
Hanan also cares for orphans and relies on the bread to feed them. “Every morning, I come here. But in the end, do I get bread or not? Sometimes I do, but most of the time, I don’t,” she says.
At the Kerem Shalom crossing, Israel’s primary entry point to Gaza, journalists last week observed trucks loaded with goods undergoing security checks. However, aid levels entering Gaza remain among the lowest in a year, with Israel attributing delays to distribution issues.
“Unfortunately, the primary bottleneck for humanitarian aid reaching its destinations lies in the distribution capabilities of international organizations, as evidenced by the 800 trucks of aid currently stalled here,” said Shimon Freedman, spokesperson for Cogat, the Israeli military body overseeing the crossings.
Inside Gaza, however, humanitarian workers report that armed gangs have looted supplies brought through Kerem Shalom, highlighting rising lawlessness. This has prompted Unrwa, the largest UN agency operating in the area, to suspend deliveries via this route.
Antoine Renard, head of the UN’s World Food Programme in Gaza, described the situation as “a daily struggle for survival.”
“The hunger, devastation, and destruction in Gaza are at unprecedented levels,” Renard said. “People cannot cope anymore. There is barely any food coming in, and markets are empty.”Amid the widespread destruction and an intensifying winter, there is no end to the conflict in sight—only the anticipation of further suffering.
