Trump's 'Board of Peace' says Israel too slow as floods ravage Gaza

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>United States President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” said on Monday that Israel needed to act immediately to help war-battered Gaza cope with impending winter, saying measures ahead of deadly floods had been insufficient.</p> <p>“The situation no longer represents simply a threat posed by the approaching winter, but an immediate humanitarian emergency,” the Board of Peace said in a statement.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/BoardOfPeace/status/2119834914824528327'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/BoardOfPeace/status/2119834914824528327"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>Heavy rain over the past two days has swept away tens of thousands of tents in the territory, where virtually the entire population has been displaced at least once, and killed at least five people, according to authorities in Gaza.</p> <p>The Board of Peace, tasked with implementation of an October 2025 US-brokered ceasefire announced between Israel and Hamas, said it had been warning Israel, which controls all entry into the territory, of the need to prepare both for the winter and seasonal flooding.</p> <p>Moments before the statement came out, the Israeli military said it had allowed more than 8,200 trucks to enter the Gaza Strip with supplies including 91,000 tents.</p> <figure class='media w-1/2 sm:w-1/3 media--right media--embed media--uneven' data-original-src='https://www.dawn.com/news/2035714/a-year-on-where-does-trumps-gaza-peace-plan-stand'> <div class='media__item media__item--newskitlink '> <iframe class="nk-iframe" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:250px;position:relative" src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/2035714" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div> </figure> <p>The Board of Peace acknowledged steps reportedly being taken by Israel but said that they remain “insufficient”.</p> <p>“We call on the leadership of the current Government of Israel to act immediately to authorise and facilitate the entry of all necessary winterisation and humanitarian supplies,” it said.</p> <p>Israel has taken a biting tone against Hamas over the floods, saying the group should have invested in infrastructure instead of weaponry.</p> <p>“Hamas doesn’t get to escape responsibility every time it rains,” the Israeli foreign ministry posted on Sunday on X.</p> <p>The Board of Peace also called on Hamas to abide by commitments under the ceasefire.</p> <p>Despite the truce, Israel has kept up <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2035714/a-year-on-where-does-trumps-gaza-peace-plan-stand#:~:text=Has%20Israel%20withdrawn%20from%20Gaza%3F">nearly daily strikes</a> in Gaza.</p> <p>Israel’s relentless campaign prior to the so-called ceasefire killed over 74,000 Palestinians and has left it increasingly <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1793515"><u>isolated</u></a> on the world stage, with <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1876811"><u>Amnesty International</u></a>, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1879714"><u>Human Rights Watch</u></a> and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1897646"><u>experts</u></a> declaring its actions in Gaza as a “genocide”, which Tel Aviv rejects.</p> <p>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is fighting for his political survival following <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2042866">tight elections</a> last month, has vowed to kill anyone involved in Hamas’s Oct 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest day ever for Israel.</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.