GENEVA: The Red Cross said on Monday it has distributed over 300 tents to displacement camps in southern Gaza in recent days but warned that the current supply of shelter materials to the enclave falls far short of urgent needs on the ground.
In addition to the 300 tents, more than 1,500 are expected to be delivered in coming days, the Red Cross added, but said hundreds of thousands of people desperately need new tents or tarpaulins after months of wear and tear on existing supplies.
“Many displaced families are living in appalling conditions — some among the rubble of their destroyed homes, others in makeshift tents constructed from tarpaulins and scrap metal,” Sarah Davies, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, told Reuters.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs told Reuters separately that humanitarian groups had sent “a limited number of tents” into Gaza in recent weeks, but many more were needed.
Over 1.3 million Gazans currently lack tents, according to the United Nations, and further displacement is anticipated as Israel conducts a major assault on Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands of residents are living among the ruins.
COGAT, the Israeli defense agency that deals with humanitarian issues, told Reuters that 5,000 tents had entered Gaza since restrictions on shelter materials were lifted near the end of August.
Aid organizations say Israel effectively blocked deliveries of materials for shelter for nearly six months, and despite the lifting of the restriction last month, international NGOs such as CARE International, ShelterBox, and the Norwegian Refugee Council reported on Monday they have yet to receive authorization to deliver such materials.
COGAT said: “Every organization that wants to enter tents is absolutely allowed to do so.”
The International Organization for Migration told Reuters it still has about 35,000 tents as well as half a million tarpaulins waiting in Jordan pending customs clearance.
“It’s frustrating. We need political solutions and then you can remove things like customs clearance and then we can move quicker,” said Karl Baker, Regional Crisis Coordinator and head of IOM Gaza Response.
Israel’s assault has reduced much of the enclave to rubble and caused a humanitarian catastrophe. More than 64,000 Palestinians have been confirmed killed, according to health officials in Gaza.
The war began with an assault by Hamas-led fighters on southern Israel in 2023. The attackers killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Some tents enter Gaza but Red Cross says enclave needs many more
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Some tents enter Gaza but Red Cross says enclave needs many more
- In addition to the 300 tents, more than 1,500 are expected to be delivered in coming days, the Red Cross added
- Hundreds of thousands of people desperately need new tents or tarpaulins after months of wear and tear on existing supplies, the Red Cross said
Ramallah talks focus on border crossings
- The meeting discussed ways to upgrade infrastructure and facilities at the Karama crossing, particularly arrival halls and cargo and transport areas, automate procedures and services, strengthen staff capacities, and combat smuggling
RAMALLAH: Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa chaired a meeting at his office in Ramallah on Saturday to review developments at border crossings, including the Karama crossing in the West Bank and the Rafah crossing in the Gaza Strip, as well as ways to develop and upgrade the crossings.
The meeting focused on improving the management and governance system for Palestinian crossings to clearly define the roles, responsibilities, and tasks of the parties involved, thereby contributing to the national economy, commercial activity, and travel services.
Mustafa reiterated that the crossings issue is a priority at all levels, as it directly affects citizens.
He stressed the need to intensify engagement with all parties to extend operating hours for passenger and cargo movement, and to develop travel and cargo transport mechanisms.
The meeting also discussed ways to upgrade infrastructure and facilities at the Karama crossing, particularly arrival halls and cargo and transport areas, automate procedures and services, strengthen staff capacities, and combat smuggling.
These measures aim to improve services for citizens, facilitate travel procedures, and enhance readiness to address congestion and travel crises, especially during the Umrah and Hajj seasons and holidays.
Meanwhile, according to local sources, Israeli forces forced Kamal Saeed Shawaneh, a Palestinian owner of a marble factory from the town of Kafr Thulth, south of Qalqilya, to carry out the demolition of his industrial facility located east of the town, on Saturday.
The facility, built on an area of roughly 300 square meters, suffered material losses estimated at more than $26,000. Israeli authorities claimed that Shawaneh did not have a permit for the factory’s construction.
The sources added that Israeli forces threatened Shawahneh with heavy fines if he did not carry out the demolition, noting that he had previously received a stop-work order for the factory in 2018.
