Storm Byron Threatens Gaza as Israeli Attacks Continue Across the Strip

December 10, 2025

Freezing temperatures and heavy rainfall are worsening already dire living conditions for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians across the Strip. (Photo: via QNN)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Gaza faces the compounded dangers of an approaching winter storm and expanding Israeli attacks, with hospitals reporting new casualties and authorities warning of a looming humanitarian catastrophe for displaced families.

Gaza is bracing for the arrival of Storm Byron, which officials warn could unleash a new humanitarian catastrophe for hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced families living in fragile shelters.

The Gaza Government Media Office said the storm is expected between Wednesday and Friday evening, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds, high sea waves, and thunderstorms to a population already enduring extreme hardship.

In a press release, the office cautioned that flooding, collapses of makeshift structures, and the inundation of displacement camps are likely, placing more than 1.5 million people at severe risk.

Many have spent over a year in worn-down tents with no long-term alternatives due to Israeli restrictions that continue to block the entry of relief and shelter materials, including 300,000 tents and mobile homes.

The office held the Israeli occupation responsible for exposing civilians to climate dangers and violating their right to safe housing, urging the United Nations, international organizations, US President Donald Trump, mediators, and donor states to act immediately to prevent further catastrophe.

As Gaza prepares for the storm, hospitals recorded one fatality and six injuries over the past 24 hours amid continued Israeli aggression, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported. Emergency and civil defense crews remain unable to reach multiple areas where victims are believed to be trapped beneath rubble due to the intensity of ongoing strikes.

Since the ceasefire announced on October 11, 2025, the Ministry noted that 377 Palestinians have been killed and 987 injured. Additionally, 626 bodies have been retrieved from destroyed neighborhoods during recovery efforts.

Israeli Attacks Hit All Gaza Areas

Meanwhile, a Palestinian man was killed by Israeli sniper fire in the al-‘Attatra area of Beit Lahia in the north, according to the Lebanese news network Al Mayadeen.

The report added that Israeli forces targeted homes in the Old City near Deir al-Latin in Gaza City and shelled the al-Shejaiya neighborhood, demolishing residential buildings and displacing families under heavy fire.

Residents expressed deep concern about the approaching storm, fearing that thousands of displaced families living in tents could face flooding while still under blockade. Extensive demolition operations in the al-Shejaiya junction have forced additional displacement, with similar scenes unfolding in Khan Yunis amid artillery fire and drone strikes.

According to Al Mayadeen, Israeli attacks now extend across all areas of Gaza, not only the so-called yellow zone, and have intensified particularly in the eastern part of the enclave.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, warned on Tuesday that many families are unable to afford essential items for their children, including glasses, warm clothing, and school supplies. The agency said its emergency cash assistance programs remain the only means for many parents to meet these needs under worsening humanitarian conditions.

UNRWA called on the international community and donors to provide urgent support to help vulnerable children and families access basic necessities.

(PC, Al Mayadeen)