Board of Peace Calls Gaza Flooding an Immediate Humanitarian Emergency

Status: The Board of Peace statement and the IDF's supply figures are both on the record; the two accounts assign responsibility differently.

The U.S.-backed Board of Peace, in a statement reported by the Times of Israel, said it was "deeply concerned by the severe seasonal flooding that has struck Gaza over the past two days" and called the situation "an immediate humanitarian emergency." More than 70,000 tents were flooded over the weekend, ToI reported. The collapse of a sand embankment at a displacement camp near Deir al-Balah killed at least five people, according to the same report.

The Board said "the urgent entry and distribution of essential shelter, sanitation, drainage, and other winterization supplies is critical to protecting civilian lives." It said it had urged the Israeli government to authorize the entry of materials for temporary shelter, water and sanitation, waste management, drainage, and sewage removal, and to abide by the Sharm El-Sheikh Humanitarian Protocol. It said Israeli delays "have exacerbated the consequences of a foreseeable humanitarian challenge." The Board also said it had "repeatedly pressed Hamas to agree to lay down its arms, relinquish governing authority, and fulfill its obligations" under President Trump's plan, and that "these failures to act have impeded progress and compounded the challenges facing Gaza's civilian population." It acknowledged steps Israel is considering but said "the response remains insufficient."

Israel's figures

The IDF, in an English-language statement quoted by the Times of Israel, said that with COGAT it has been advancing a winter preparedness plan and that "since the implementation of the plan began, more than 91,000 tents and over 8,200 trucks carrying tarpaulins, blankets, winter clothing, and other additional supplies have entered the Gaza Strip." The military said that "while Hamas refuses to disarm and continues to exploit civilian areas and humanitarian aid for terrorist activity, the IDF and COGAT are proactively working to improve the humanitarian response." It also said that around half of more than 850 approved requests have not yet been carried out because "the UN and international organizations have yet to transfer the requested equipment into the Strip, partly due to logistical and budgetary challenges unrelated to Israel."

AFNS is presenting both accounts. They are not reconciled in the public reporting reviewed for this story.

Related

• Israel Briefing: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026