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Families endure nightly battles with pests in war-torn Gaza
Residents of Gaza's displacement camps report a surge in attacks by rats, weasels, and other pests, compounding the region's humanitarian crisis six months after a ceasefire failed to restore basic living conditions.
Children and elderly targeted by rodents
Samah al-Daabla recounted the night her four-year-old daughter, Mayaseen, was bitten by a weasel in their tent. "We woke to her screams at 2 a.m.," she told the BBC. "When my husband turned on the light, the animal fled. My daughter's hand was covered in blood."
Mayaseen received a tetanus shot at a Gaza City hospital but suffered days of fever and vomiting. Her family, like thousands of others, now lives in a tent amid piles of rubble and waste.
Footage circulating on social media shows rats overrunning camps, attacking infants, and biting elderly residents. One diabetic grandmother with nerve damage lost parts of her toes to rodent bites.
Collapsed sanitation fuels disease spread
A UN-backed survey found rodents or pests visible in 80% of displacement sites, affecting 1.45 million people. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that bites, urine, and droppings from these animals spread respiratory illnesses, skin infections, and blood poisoning.
"This is the predictable consequence of a collapsed living environment,"
Dr. Reinhilde Van De Weert, WHO representative in Gaza
With raw sewage flowing through overcrowded camps and garbage piling up near tents, pests thrive in the warming spring weather. Parents describe sleepless nights guarding their children from invading animals.
Desperate pleas for aid amid stalled reconstruction
Rizq Abu Laila, living beside a Gaza City landfill with his four children-one battling cancer-described the relentless infestations. "We can't sleep. Rats tear our clothes and eat our flour. Mosquitoes and foul smells make life unbearable," he said. "We beg international institutions to help us."
No reconstruction has begun in Gaza, and none of the 200,000 caravans promised by Palestinian officials as temporary housing have arrived. Hamas, which sparked the war with its October 2023 attack on Israel, has not agreed to disarm, while Israel continues airstrikes, citing Hamas targets.
Limited solutions under Israeli restrictions
UN agencies are scaling up pest control, drainage, and sanitation efforts, but face severe constraints. "We need a large-scale campaign to address waste and rubble across Gaza," said Ettie Higgins, UNICEF's deputy representative for Palestine. "Pipes and treatment facilities are destroyed, and we're working to manage wastewater."
Humanitarian groups demand access to eastern Gaza's landfills, now under Israeli military control, and heavy equipment to clear debris. However, Israel restricts supplies like chemicals and pipes, citing concerns they could be repurposed for weapons by Hamas.
Cogat, the Israeli body overseeing Gaza's crossings, stated it is collaborating with international organizations on sanitation. "We coordinate waste removal, facilitate equipment entry for repairs, and allow trucks for waste disposal," a spokesperson told the BBC. The agency recently permitted nearly 1,000 rat traps and 10 tons of pesticides into Gaza.
Health risks expected to worsen with summer heat
The WHO reports over 111,500 cases of parasite-related diseases this year, including scabies, lice, and bedbug infestations. More than 80% of Gaza households report skin infections.
Hassan Al-Faqaawi, a father of six in Khan Younis, described his family's ordeal: "We scratch all night from fleas and mosquitoes. Weasels and rats pass by constantly. There's no lasting peace here-life is harder than before."
With summer approaching, aid workers fear pest populations will surge, deepening the health crisis in a territory where survival remains a daily struggle.
