ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday condemned Israel’s restrictions barring humanitarian assistance from reaching Gaza on Monday, as heavy rains flooded tents of thousands of displaced Palestinians’ in the area over the weekend.

Tens of thousands of Palestinian families were caught in Gaza’s first winter storm, which flooded about 70,000 tents in a single day over the weekend, according to Save the Children. Civil Defense received more than 1,500 distress calls as families fled waterlogged camps overnight, the aid group said on Sunday.

Aid groups say restrictions on supplies have left families unable to make even basic improvements. Save the Children said Israeli authorities continued to block prefabricated shelters and restrict tents, tarpaulins, blankets, fuel and materials needed to repair damaged buildings. The ceasefire announced more than a year ago had provided for the entry of caravans as a more durable alternative to tents, the group said.

“Deeply concerned about continued Israeli illegal actions to deny basic humanitarian assistance to the brave Palestinian people of Gaza,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X.

https://x.com/cmshehbaz/status/2119650802730230202?s=46

Sharif spoke about the “heart rending images” of tents being flooded and of Gazan children with nowhere to go being trapped and subjected to starvation, extreme cold.

“I strongly condemn these violations of the ceasefire and international law, and this continued aggression toward the Palestinian people,” he said. “I have directed MoFA to pursue all possible means to escalate humanitarian assistance urgently.”

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said about 2 million people needed shelter assistance after Israel destroyed or damaged most homes in the enclave.

In a Nov. 5 statement, the monitor accused Israel of blocking shelter and repair supplies and preventing displaced Palestinians from returning to areas under its control. Hamas also blamed Israel for blocking shelters and construction materials, according to a Saturday report by Reuters.

Israel said it restricts items entering Gaza that could be used for military purposes, the BBC reported on Sunday.

Across Gaza, more than 464,000 people live in displacement sites at high risk of flooding, according to Save the Children. Those include Al-Mawasi and sites in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza City, northern Gaza and Rafah.

The group said 11 children were reported to have died from hypothermia last year.

Israel has killed more than 70,000 people in Gaza since it imposed war on the Palestinians there in October 2023. Its military operations have drawn sharp criticism from Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel.

Pakistan continues to advocate for a two-state solution to resolve the Middle East crisis, that also results in the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al Sharif as its capital.