UN steps up Gaza aid efforts as heavy rains affect over 200,000 people

UN humanitarians said on Tuesday that they and partners are scrambling to aid more than 200,000 residents of Gaza who, according to estimates, may have been affected following the heavy rains over the weekend.Site management partners and others reported damage as of Monday to more than 40,000 family shelters and over 900 latrines. Nine health facilities also suffered damage, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said."Humanitarian partners say there are not enough places to which people in flooded areas and war-damaged buildings can relocate," OCHA said. "This is because Israeli authorities are still restricting Palestinian access anywhere behind the so-called 'Yellow Line,' which means that most of Gaza's land remains off limit."The office said its partners warn that their ability to provide timely support is limited, leaving many in poor living conditions. By Monday, support had reached about 750 households, or roughly 4,500 people. Assistance included tents, tarpaulins, blankets, plastic sheets, mattresses, cereal packages, jerrycans and hygiene kits.Israel on Tuesday blamed Hamas for the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, saying reconstruction could not begin until the group disarmed. The remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace criticized Israel for delays in allowing humanitarian supplies into the war-devastated enclave."Hamas alone is responsible for the suffering of the people of Gaza," the statement said, adding that the group's refusal to disarm remained the main obstacle to reconstruction.Amid the crisis caused by heavy rains, Israeli attacks have continued across the Gaza Strip. Three Palestinians, including a child, were killed on Tuesday in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire, Xinhua reported, citing Palestinian security and medical sources.An Israeli drone fired at least one missile at a shelter in the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City. Medical sources at al-Ahli Baptist Hospital said the strike killed two people, including a child, and wounded three others.(With input from Xinhua)