More than 150,000 tents bought for Gaza are waiting outside the territory because Israeli authorities have not allowed them in, as winter storms flood displacement camps and leave families sheltering in damaged tents.

UK minister Stephen Doughty told the House of Commons on 12 November that, according to the United Nations, more than 150,000 tents and 300,000 tarpaulins purchased by humanitarian partners and donors are outside Gaza ready to go in, but have been prevented from entering. Timber is also blocked, leaving no emergency shelter kits available inside Gaza, he said.

About 117,000 of the tents are in Al-Arish in Egypt, supplied by the Egyptian Relief Committee, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The UN says about 1.4 million people, or 65 per cent of Gaza's population, are living in tents or makeshift shelters, and stocks of tents, tarpaulins, blankets and clothing inside Gaza are virtually exhausted.

Storm damage and a call for crossings to open

Heavy rain and strong winds flooded displacement sites. Doughty told MPs that, according to humanitarian partners, more than 152,000 people have been affected, with over 6,000 shelters destroyed, 17,400 damaged and nearly 4,000 households left without shelter.

UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said on 11 November that the UN had a clear plan for the supplies Gaza needs, set out weeks ago, and urged: "No more delay. Open all the crossings, not just one." He said waiting for a new Israeli government to form was not an acceptable excuse for delay, UN News reported.

Israel says substantial aid and winter supplies have entered Gaza and that restrictions on some equipment reflect concerns about military use. The UK has announced a further £5 million for UNICEF's winter response in Gaza.