Internally displaced Palestinian families in southern Gaza are enduring extreme summer heat inside worn-out tents without cooling equipment, using makeshift methods to cope with daytime temperatures.
Some families cover tents to block direct sunlight and open shelters for airflow, while others spray children with water for heat relief.
About 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents live in tents and temporary shelters after Israel destroyed their homes in its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which began in October 2023.
The genocide has killed more than 73,400 Palestinians and injured over 174,000 others, with 90% of civilian infrastructure damaged or destroyed, Gaza Health Ministry figures show. The U.N. has estimated reconstruction costs at about $70 billion.
Survival ‘nearly impossible’
Jamalat Siam, a displaced Palestinian from Rafah in southern Gaza, lives in a tent in the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis.
She said rising temperatures have made staying inside the tent "nearly impossible” due to the lack of cooling equipment.
"In the summer, we cannot sit inside the tent. We put a barrier over it and stay in the shade,” she told Turkish Anadolu Agency (AA).
She said children are particularly affected by the heat, pouring water over themselves to cool down, sometimes resulting in exhaustion.
Rubble barrier
Beyond combating heat, piles of rubble scattered around displacement areas have become barriers some families use to block sunlight and protect themselves from Israeli gunfire.
Siam said her family collects rubble from streets and destroyed homes to place around their tents.
The barriers provide little security. Siam said her area "is not safe," and residents fear an Israeli ground incursion at any time.
Water scarcity
The water crisis further burdens displaced families forced to travel long distances to reach water sources, especially drinking water.
Kholoud Abu Mohsen, a mother of five from Khan Younis, told AA her family must travel long distances for daily water.
Abu Mohsen places her children in a plastic basin with water to relieve intense heat, but difficulty obtaining water forces her to ration it.
She said the extreme heat has worsened her family’s suffering, even with openings she made in their shelter above their destroyed home’s ruins to improve ventilation.
Her efforts have failed to ease the heat. Pieces of cardboard and plastic substitute for electric fans amid an electricity crisis persisting since Israel’s genocidal war began about three years ago.
The family also struggles to secure food and relies primarily on rice and lentils. One of Abu Mohsen’s daughters has a congenital eye condition that requires treatment, while her about 6-month-old daughter suffers from severe malnutrition.
Abu Mohsen said living conditions force her to work daily for meager wages of five or 10 shekels ($1.70 or $3.30) to buy diapers and other essential supplies.
Despite a cease-fire agreement reached on Oct. 10, 2025, Israel continues its blockade of the Gaza Strip, imposing strict restrictions on the movement of people, goods and aid, and continuing military operations that have killed more than 1,270 Palestinians and injured over 4,420 others, most of them women and children, Gaza Health Ministry figures show.
On Aug. 22, 2025, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Global Initiative announced in a report that "famine was occurring in Gaza City” in the northern Gaza Strip.