DaysofPal – Gaza’s Ministry of Interior and National Security announced that 18 Palestinians have been killed after dozens of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes collapsed since the ceasefire agreement came into effect on October 10.
In a statement, the ministry said that 46 residential buildings across the Gaza Strip have collapsed on their residents, warning that the situation is rapidly worsening. The latest incident occurred on Saturday evening in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, where a partially damaged building collapsed, killing four people and bringing the total death toll to 18.
The building partially collapsed overnight on Saturday and Sunday, according to the ministry. Five people were rescued shortly after the incident, while four others remained missing until Sunday morning, when the bodies of two young girls were recovered from beneath the rubble.
The Interior Ministry warned that the disaster is likely to expand as Israel continues to block reconstruction efforts and refuses to allow the entry of mobile homes and temporary housing units.
The arrival of winter, combined with heavy rainfall and strong winds, has significantly increased the risk of further collapses of already weakened structures.
The ministry urgently appealed to the international community to take immediate action by facilitating the entry of construction materials and temporary housing to safely shelter displaced families. It cautioned that continued delays would further worsen the humanitarian crisis and expose hundreds of thousands of people to what it described as a “direct risk of death.”
Multiple homes and residential buildings that had previously been damaged by Israeli bombardment have collapsed in recent weeks due to severe weather conditions, resulting in additional deaths and injuries, according to government sources.
With most of Gaza’s housing stock destroyed, many families have been forced to live in structurally unsound and partially collapsed buildings, despite the dangers. Officials say Israel has prevented the entry of caravans, building materials, and reconstruction supplies, in violation of its obligations under the ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire brought an end to Israel’s war on Gaza, which began in October 2023 with U.S. support and lasted nearly two years. The conflict killed approximately 71,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 171,000 others, while destroying an estimated 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure. The United Nations has estimated the cost of reconstruction at around $70 billion.
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