A building in Gaza City that had been damaged during the war collapsed early Wednesday, killing at least 21 people, including 11 children, as displaced Palestinians continue to live in buildings at risk of collapse.
The five-storey building had been damaged by Israeli strikes earlier in the war and was known to be structurally unstable. Despite the danger, several displaced families had been sheltering there because safer housing options were scarce.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said 21 people, including five women and 11 children, were killed in the collapse. At least 14 others were injured, while rescue teams searched the rubble for survivors and victims.
Civil defence workers and volunteers initially had to rely heavily on their hands and limited equipment to clear the debris. Rescue efforts have been complicated by shortages of heavy machinery and fuel across the Gaza Strip.
The collapse highlights the wider dangers faced by Palestinians living among buildings damaged during the conflict. Many families have moved into partially damaged structures after finding few alternatives to overcrowded shelters and tent camps.
A Norwegian Refugee Council assessment found that more than one-fifth of buildings it assessed in Gaza City were not structurally sound. A separate shelter assessment said about two-thirds of Palestinian households were living in tent camps.
The United Nations has also warned about the large number of damaged structures across Gaza and the difficulties involved in removing debris and recovering bodies from buildings destroyed during the war.
The collapse occurred as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, with reconstruction of Gaza’s heavily damaged infrastructure yet to begin on a large scale.
Israel has said reconstruction cannot proceed until Hamas disarms, while Palestinian and UN officials have raised concerns about restrictions on equipment needed to clear rubble and make damaged areas safe.
Israeli authorities have said heavy machinery is permitted to enter Gaza under existing policy, while Palestinian and UN officials have said the shortage of equipment remains a major obstacle to rescue and recovery operations.
The latest collapse has renewed concerns about the safety of tens of thousands of Palestinians who remain in damaged buildings because of the lack of adequate shelter.
As Gaza’s recovery remains stalled, damaged structures continue to pose a serious risk to families who have few alternatives for housing and protection.
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