Rains flood tent cities in Gaza; five killed by collapsing sand dune

In depth

A rainstorm flooded the tents of displaced people in the Gaza Strip, and in the center of the Strip extensive damage was caused to mattresses, blankets and personal belongings. A resident of Gaza City told ynet: "Mattresses, food, personal belongings - everything is lost." In Israel, officials said that as long as Hamas remains armed, residents of the Strip will continue to live in tents, and that equipment that could be used to produce munitions would not be allowed in.

Water seeped into the tents within hours, and according to the data about 70,000 tents were flooded. More than 100,000 people went out to look for other shelter. Rescue teams are struggling to cope with the scale of the flooding.

Five people were killed when a sand dune collapsed onto a tent. Doctors fear that the harsh conditions will accelerate the spread of contagious diseases, led by meningitis. Headlines about the flooding were written around the world, and the British Foreign Secretary said: "The reality is heartbreaking, we will put an end to this unbearable suffering."