Netanyahu to meet Trump in Florida

Rains compound the misery in Gaza as Israeli leader visits US for talks on truce.

- BY WAFAA SHURAFA AND SALLY ABOU ALJOUD

CHILDREN carry sacks of firewood Sunday in an encampment for displaced Palestinians in Gaza City.

(JEHAD ALSHRAFI Associated Press)

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Florida for a meeting planned Monday with President Trump, winter rain continued to lash 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.

Netanyahu and Trump were expected to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the militant group Hamas. The first phase that took effect Oct. 10 was meant to bring a surge in humanitarian aid for Gaza, including shelter, but deliveries have fallen far short. The Israeli leader made no public statement as he departed.

No escaping the rain

In the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, 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. Others clawed at the ground to pry collapsed shelters from the mud.

"We drowned last night," said Majdoleen Tarabein, displaced from Rafah in southern Gaza. "Puddles formed, and there was a bad smell. The tent flew away. We don't know what to do or where to go." She and family members tried to wring muddy blankets dry by hand.