Trump’s Board of Peace chides Israel for ‘insufficient’ response to Gaza flooding

Key Points:

• The US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace criticized Israel’s response to severe flooding in Gaza as “insufficient” and urged the entry of essential aid for shelter, sanitation, and winterization to protect displaced civilians.
• Seasonal rains flooded tens of thousands of tents housing nearly 2 million displaced Palestinians in Gaza, where much of the infrastructure has been destroyed by ongoing Israeli bombardments during three years of conflict.
• The Board of Peace, established to oversee a Gaza ceasefire and reconstruction, called on Israel to allow materials for temporary shelter, water, sanitation, waste management, and drainage, but Israel restricts equipment entry citing security concerns.
• Former UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini criticized the board for not using its leverage to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis more forcefully, while British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband condemned the worsening situation and pledged continued UK efforts to alleviate suffering.
• Israel reported sending over 91,000 tents to Gaza but refused to permit heavy machinery needed for large-scale cleanup, stating reconstruction can only start after Hamas disarms fully.