Rain floods camps for displaced Palestinians in Gaza

Wind and rain has destroyed flimsy tents which had provided shelter for many Palestinian in Gaza (Jehad Alshrafi/AP)

Winter rain lashed the Gaza Strip over the weekend, flooding camps with ankle-deep puddles as Palestinians displaced by two years of war attempted to stay dry in tents frayed by months of use.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, blankets were soaked and clay ovens meant for cooking were swamped. Children wearing flip-flops waded through puddles. Some people used shovels or tin cans to remove water from tents, while others clawed at the ground to pry collapsed shelters from the mud.