In pictures: Torrential rains flood Gaza

Palestinians eat in West Bank’s snowcapped town of Nablus on Saturday. Schools in the West Bank remain closed Sunday. Nasser Ishtayeh / AP Photo

Members of the Palestinian civil defence evacuate people from their homes. Mohammed Salem / Reuters

Members of the Palestinian civil defence ride a boat down a flooded street. The downpour that began late Wednesday was part of a storm that covered parts of Israel and the West Bank with snow, paralysed Jerusalem and left thousands in Israel without power. Mohammed Salem / Reuters

A Palestinian boy pushes his bicycle thorugh floodwaters. Even Gaza with its milder coastal climate saw some snow, though lower-lying areas were mainly hit by flooding. Mohammed Saber / EPA

Rescue efforts were hampered by fuel shortages and rolling power cuts that have become more severe in recent months, since Egypt tightened a border blockade of the territory. Mohammed Salem / Reuters

Flooding from heavy rains forced some 40,000 Gaza Strip residents from their homes, including thousands who were taken to safety in boats and military lorries.