Gaza's Housing Crisis Deepens as Families Face Another Harsh Winter in Rubble and Tents

A recent Google Earth update has provided a stark, visual reminder of the extensive destruction across Gaza, but for the enclave's displaced residents, the imagery highlights a much more immediate crisis: the desperate search for shelter as winter approaches.

With neighborhoods reduced to rubble, displaced Palestinians face grim options. Some live in vulnerable tents, others occupy severely damaged buildings, and many have no safe alternatives at all. Despite a ceasefire that began on October 10 last year—following the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent military operations—near-daily attacks have continued, killing more than 1,400 Palestinians while Israeli forces maintain control over large parts of the territory.

For 35-year-old Amani Abu Jalhoum, the changing season brings immediate dread. Living in a tent after her home in Sheikh Radwan, northern Gaza city, was destroyed during Operation Gideon’s Chariots in 2025, she remembers the bitter cold and water pouring in last winter. Her four-year-old son, Ayham, was sick for much of the season with the flu and a runny nose because she could not adequately protect him. With essential supplies like tarpaulins unavailable, she is struggling to prepare for another harsh winter.

Google Earth comparisons between prewar and recent imagery illustrate the devastating reshaping of Gaza's urban landscape, particularly in Rafah, Khan Younis, Gaza city, and northern Gaza. This widespread destruction forces families to choose between drafty tents and structurally compromised buildings.

Basel Abu Eish, 41, chose a damaged building. His family of four is living in a home that authorities warn could collapse during heavy winds and rain. The house was badly damaged in May 2025 when Israeli forces detonated explosive-laden vehicles nearby. Having nowhere else to go after the landowner requested the return of the temporary plot they were staying on, Mr Abu Eish returned to the hazardous structure, admitting that every night feels like a nightmare.

According to the NRC-led Palestinian Shelter Cluster, approximately 284,250 families require shelter assistance this winter. The Norwegian Refugee Council warns that 1.65 million Palestinians are expected to spend a fourth winter in worn-out tents and damaged buildings. Current pipeline supplies can only support about 52,200 families.

Humanitarian organizations point out that essential shelter materials—such as tents, tarpaulins, timber, cement, and tools—are classified as "dual use" items by Israeli authorities and face strict import limitations. Only 15 lorries carrying these goods from Jordan are currently permitted to enter Gaza each week, a pace that the NRC estimates would take over seven months to process pending shipments. While Israel maintains these restrictions to prevent military diversion, humanitarian groups argue the policies prevent adequate civilian protection against the elements.

Financial hurdles further compound the crisis. The minimum winter shelter response requires $283 million, but donors have only provided or pledged $96.2 million, leaving a funding gap of $186.8 million.

For Taysir Abu Hani, 32, the contrast with prewar life is stark. Formerly living in a secure home in Rafah, his family was displaced to a tent in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis. Last winter, his 75-year-old father slipped and fell in the middle of a rainy night while heading to the bathroom, sustaining a fracture that still limits his mobility today. The accident has left the younger children terrified of leaving the tent after dark.

The NRC estimates that roughly 950,000 Palestinians currently reside in displacement sites at medium or high risk of flooding, compounded by severe shortages of heavy machinery, engine oil, and fuel needed to clear drainage systems before heavy rains begin.