US-backed Board of Peace warns of 'immediate humanitarian emergency' as flood inundate thousands of tents

The US-created Board of Peace warned on Monday of an "immediate humanitarian emergency" in Gaza after two days of severe flooding. Tens of thousands of tents and makeshift shelters were inundated, leaving displaced families exposed to cold and unsafe conditions. Authorities in Gaza said at least five people were killed.

The Board, which oversees implementation of the October 2025 ceasefire, said Israel's preparations for winter had fallen short. It urged the Israeli government to authorise the entry of all necessary winterisation and humanitarian supplies. It also said Israeli delays had worsened a foreseeable crisis and held up the start of Hamas's disarmament and the transfer of authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. The statement also faulted Hamas for not honouring its commitments.

"The situation no longer represents simply a threat posed by the approaching winter, but an immediate humanitarian emergency," the Board said in a statement.

"The urgent entry and distribution of essential shelter, sanitation, drainage, and other winterisation supplies is critical to protecting civilian lives."

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Shortly before the statement, the Israeli military said it had allowed more than 8,200 trucks into Gaza, carrying supplies including 91,000 tents. Israel's Foreign Ministry blamed Hamas for the flooding, accusing it of diverting water infrastructure into weapons.

"Delays in these approvals and the implementation of the commitments undertaken at Sharm El-Sheikh have exacerbated the consequences of a foreseeable humanitarian challenge and significantly delayed the start of the decommissioning of weapons and transfer of authority from Hamas to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG)," it added.

The board also called on Hamas to fulfil its obligation to lay down weapons under the ceasefire agreement. The UN said it shares the Board's view that Israel's response is insufficient.

Its humanitarian office reported more than 26,000 households with damaged shelters or belongings, while over 150,000 tents remain outside Gaza awaiting dispatch. Aid teams are pumping floodwater and reinforcing camps with sandbags, but lack enough equipment for the scale of the crisis. The flooding comes despite the truce, under which Israel has kept up nearly daily strikes in Gaza.