United States President, Donald Trump’s Board of Peace has criticised Israel’s response to severe flooding in Gaza, describing its efforts as “insufficient” and calling for the immediate entry of essential humanitarian supplies into the war-ravaged territory.
The board urged Israel to facilitate the delivery of shelter, sanitation, drainage and other winter supplies to protect civilians, as heavy rains inundated thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians.
Nearly two million Palestinians remain displaced in Gaza, according to the United Nations.
“The urgent entry and distribution of essential shelter, sanitation, drainage, and other winterization supplies is critical to protecting civilian lives,” the Board of Peace said in a statement on Monday.
Established by the Trump administration and backed by a United Nations Security Council resolution, the board was tasked with overseeing the implementation of a Gaza ceasefire agreement signed in October 2025 and coordinating the reconstruction of the enclave.
However, the initiative has reportedly made little progress in recent months.
The board also called on Israel to “authorize the entry of essential materials for temporary shelter, water and sanitation infrastructure, waste management, drainage, and sewage removal.”
Much of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure has been destroyed by Israeli bombardment during three years of conflict.
In response, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said on Tuesday that the country would “continue to support winter preparedness in Gaza,” citing humanitarian supplies it claimed had already been delivered to the territory.
“Israel and the Board of Peace face a common challenge,” the statement said, adding that “as long as Hamas remains in power, it will use every dual-use item entering Gaza to entrench its terror regime and expand its military arsenal.”
Since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, Israeli strikes have reportedly killed more than 1,400 people in Gaza, according to the UN.
The organisation also said no hospital in the enclave is fully operational.
Former head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, described the board’s criticism of Israel’s flood response as an “understatement.”
While acknowledging what he called a rare admission that Israel was failing to adequately address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, Lazzarini criticised the board for not using its influence to improve conditions.
He said “it does not use any of its leverage to address the disgraceful dystopian misery of the Palestinians in Gaza.”
The flooding also claimed four lives on Sunday evening after a sand embankment collapsed onto tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said three children and a woman were killed in the incident.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband also expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, warning that the heavy rainfall and flooded shelters had compounded the suffering of residents.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is getting worse. Heavy rain. Flooded tents. The reality on the ground is heartbreaking,” he said.
“The UK government will not standby. We will not rest until we bring an end to the intolerable suffering,” Miliband added in a statement on X.
Meanwhile, Israel said on Sunday that more than 91,000 tents had been delivered to Gaza ahead of the winter season.
However, it continues to restrict the entry of heavy machinery needed for large-scale debris clearance and reconstruction.
“The reconstruction of Gaza can only begin after Hamas fully disarms,” Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories said.
“Israel will not permit the entry of equipment that could be used to develop terrorist capabilities.”
