Tens of thousands of tents flooded after heavy rains in Gaza

Heavy rains have flooded tens of thousands of tents where displaced residents have been living in Gaza, with a United Nations official saying almost everyone in the territory needs help. Jonathan Veitch, the Unicef representative for Palestine, said the "desperate" situation was being made worse by Israeli restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery and supplies such as engine oil.

Some 90% of Gaza residents have been displaced by the Israeli war against Hamas, many of them multiple times, with limited access to clean water and sanitation. Speaking to the BBC from Deir Al Balah in central Gaza, Veitch said: "It's just horrific and they're absolutely desperate.

"We're providing all the assistance that we can but we're getting stopped on the street as we're driving now because people are begging us for help." The Hamas-run government in Gaza said about 70,000 tents had been flooded. A spokesperson said the "collapse of dozens of cracked walls and roofs" had caused injuries, some of which were critical.