Al Jazara
روایت خاورمیانه 
A building hosting Palestinian displaced families in Gaza collapsed on Wednesday following Israeli airstrikes, claiming 12 lives. Rescuers are searching for around 100 individuals, including 50 children, who are believed to be trapped under the debris.
Rescue Status and Challenges
The Gaza Civil Defense team announced that the bodies of five children have been found among the victims, and 14 injured individuals have been transferred to the hospital. Medical sources reported that rescuers can hear voices of people trapped under the rubble and are working to reach them.
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The multi-story building, which had four apartments on each floor, had previously been damaged during the war due to Israeli attacks, severely weakening its structure. When the building collapsed, it fell on tents set up for the displaced nearby.
Risks for Palestinian Displaced Persons
This incident highlights the ongoing dangers for tens of thousands of Palestinians living in approximately 2,000 damaged buildings in Gaza. Mohammed Aboudan, a supervisor with the Civil Defense team, stated, "More than 10 families were residing in this building, and the displaced had no other shelters available, forcing them to live there."
The search and rescue operations are being conducted under very challenging conditions due to a lack of necessary equipment and resources. Palestinian officials and the United Nations have cited Israeli restrictions on Gaza as the reason for the shortage of heavy machinery in the area. Israel claims these restrictions are in place to prevent equipment from reaching militant groups.
A video released by rescuers shows them attempting to pull two individuals from beneath a collapsed wall. Another video on social media shows Mahmoud Basel, a spokesperson for the Gaza Civil Defense, holding a young girl wrapped in a blood-stained shawl.
Raed Al-Dahshan, director of Gaza Civil Defense Services, said, "We can still hear voices from under the rubble, so there is still hope of finding survivors."
International aid organizations are also involved in this operation, but the lack of suitable machinery makes the efforts extremely difficult. Alessandro Merakik, head of the UN Development Program office in Gaza, stated, "In fact, people are digging with their bare hands. We must prepare for a higher number of fatalities."
Tents belonging to displaced families have been set up along the road leading to the damaged building, as no other shelter is available. Similar incidents have occurred repeatedly over the past two years, with homes and damaged buildings collapsing, trapping individuals and resulting in more deaths and injuries.
With few options for housing, many Palestinians have returned to their partially destroyed homes or moved into abandoned buildings, clearing small spaces among the rubble. Skyrocketing rents and the cost of vacant land have made finding safer housing extremely difficult.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are still unable to return to neighborhoods near what is referred to as the "red line," and families are forced to find any space they can, wherever they are. In May, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, ordered that 70% of Gaza be evacuated.
Damaged roofs, walls, and columns can collapse without warning, especially during strong winds, heavy rains, or further attacks, becoming dangerous. Residents were asked if they fear for their safety and that of their children, to which they responded: "Yes, we are scared, but where can we go? This is better than staying on the street."
Israeli attacks on Gaza continue despite a ceasefire. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, since the beginning of the fragile ceasefire on October 11, 2023, 1,369 Palestinians have been killed and 4,627 injured.
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