Netanyahu denies Israel is to blame for conditions in Gaza camps

WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected accusations that Israel has been delaying the entry of winter supplies into the Gaza Strip as severe rains flood makeshift tents, worsening conditions in the enclave this week.

Netanyahu denied that Israel was responsible for worsening conditions for Palestinians in Gaza's tent camps, which have been hit by severe winter flooding.

He instead blamed Hamas, saying the Palestinian militant group refuses to disarm and seizes humanitarian aid for military use. He provided no evidence for the aid seizure claim.

His remarks came after the U.S.-created Board of Peace said Monday that Israel's delays in allowing winter supplies into Gaza had "exacerbated the consequences of a foreseeable humanitarian challenge."

The U.N. and other aid groups say more than 150,000 tents and pumps to remove floodwaters are ready to enter Gaza, but Israel has not authorized their entry.

Torrential rain has battered the war-torn enclave in recent days, damaging tens of thousands of makeshift tents. At least four people died Sunday when a large sandstone slab collapsed.