Flooding in Gaza Compounds Humanitarian Crisis Amid Stalled Peace Process

Sat Dec 13 2025 15:35:37 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As severe flooding exacerbates the plight of displaced Gazans, the next phase of the stalled peace plan remains unclear, leaving over 800,000 residents vulnerable. Families, like that of Ghadir al-Adham, seek urgent solutions.

Recent heavy rains in Gaza have led to severe flooding, endangering over 800,000 people and causing property damage in already devastated areas. Families remain displaced and call for urgent humanitarian aid as the ongoing peace process, initiated by an American-imposed ceasefire, reaches deadlock over unresolved hostage situations. The struggle for a new governance and housing solutions continues amid these growing challenges.

More than 800,000 Gazans are at risk from flooding, the UN warns, as a powerful winter storm sweeps through the Strip, adding to the already dire humanitarian situation.

The torrential rain has flooded numerous camps, collapsing several buildings and threatening the safety of families who lost their homes in previous conflicts. Among them is Ghadir al-Adham, a mother facing a precarious existence with her six children in a makeshift tent in Gaza City: Here we are, living a life of humiliation. We long for concrete to keep us warm. Every day I sit and cry for my children, she expressed in a recent interview.

Two months into an American-imposed ceasefire, Gaza remains in a precarious situation, caught in the first phase of Donald Trump's peace plan, with its territory divided and many still displaced amid rubble.

As heavy rains continue to fall, plans for new homes are stalled, frozen in the next stage of the peace deal due to the ongoing search for Israel's last hostage, Ran Gvili, which remains a significant sticking point in negotiations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that his government will not move forward in negotiating a more complex deal until all hostages are recovered, leading to frustration among families affected by the hostage crisis, including Gvili's parents.

Frustration is amplified by recent developments in Gaza where the groundwork for potential temporary housing is being laid under pressure from Washington. Some proposals include relocating Gazans to Israeli-held areas, raising fears among those who do not wish to live under Israeli control.

Amid mounting pressures, Israeli and Hamas leaders appear hesitant to move towards the next phase of the peace plan due to mutual concerns over concessions. Former military officials suggest both sides benefit from inaction, pushing the urgency of finding productive solutions before time runs out.

As the situation in Gaza deteriorates, many fear a future where divisions deepen, further complicating an already challenging peace process.