For the first time since 2007, snow covered the ground in the western and southern West Bank cities last week, as Palestinians capitalized on the two days by building snowmen and engaging in snowball fights. Photos showed that the Palestinian Authority security forces were not immune to the contagious jovial atmosphere, as they too enjoyed the snow.

The days before that witnessed heavy rains, in the first winter spell of the year. The northern cities of Jenin and Tulkarem were subject to severe flooding, as main roads were rendered unusable because of the rising water. Valleys, blocked by debris, overflowed and caused heavy damage to nearby Palestinian homes.

Sabah Abu Rmeileh’s house in the Jaroushiya area of Tulkarem was one of the most seriously affected. As a mother of five, she lamented how all her children were moved by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to strangers’ homes for suitable shelter, since their home was badly damaged.

“There was water everywhere,” Sabah recounts. “Everything inside got ruined, everything. The furniture is all broken, there are no clothes or mattresses left, and none of our electrical appliances work. We also lost five sheep out of 10.”