Heavy rains across the region are sparking fears of flooding in both Israel and the Gaza Strip, as a low-pressure system moves through the area.
Readings from Israel’s meteorological service show areas near the Gaza border getting nearly 30 mm of the wet stuff over the past 24 hours, around a quarter of the average for December.
According to al-Jazeera, areas in south Gaza have experienced flooding due to the rains.
In Israel, the Nature and Parks Authority announces that several popular hiking paths are being closed due to flash flood worries.
Closures include all of Ein Gedi National Park aside from the first waterfall from the entrance, rappeling sites and hiking paths along normally dry river beds in the Judean Desert, and hiking paths along cliffs in the Arbel nature reserve near the Sea of Galilee in the north.
Nahal Bokek and the Yotvata Hai Bar nature reserve in the south are also closed due to the weather.
The rain is expected to taper off throughout the morning, giving way to dry, chilly conditions.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From 
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
