GAZA/JERUSALEM, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Four Palestinians were killed in Gaza City in two separate incidents, while a woman died in flooding in East Jerusalem, as heavy rain and strong winds swept the region on Tuesday.
Eyewitnesses said three people, including a woman and a child, were killed when a wedding hall on Gaza City's beachfront collapsed. The hall had been sheltering displaced persons.
In a separate incident, Palestinian medical sources reported that a woman was killed when a wall collapsed west of Gaza City during the storm.
In a statement, Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal confirmed the incidents, warning that buildings in Gaza are no longer safe shelters for residents amid ongoing heavy rain and strong winds.
In East Jerusalem, a woman in her 50s was killed in flooding on Tuesday, Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service reported.
The service said she was apparently struck by a heavy object inside her flooded home and was taken to a hospital, where she later died.
Israeli police said several roads were blocked due to flooding in southern and northern Israel, and that at least 10 people were trapped by floodwaters and required rescue.
Videos on social media showed rescue teams using boats to reach people trapped on flooded main roads.
The Israel Meteorological Service said winds of more than 100 kph hit multiple areas across the country. Large amounts of rain fell overnight and into Tuesday, particularly in central Israel.
The weather was expected to gradually weaken overnight, the service said. ■
