Casualties reported after 'Al-Saada' building collapses in Gaza amid Israeli strikes

A tragic scene unfolded in Gaza City last night after the 'Al-Saada' building collapsed on dozens of displaced families who had sought refuge there due to the lack of available shelters.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense, said the city witnessed a disaster at midnight when the building collapsed on families who had taken shelter inside, as there were no other safe places to go. He explained that the building consisted of six floors, with four apartments on each floor. The building had previously been targeted at the start of the war but remained standing despite significant damage.

Basal added that Civil Defense teams have so far recovered nine people, including children and women, from beneath the rubble. The fate of around 100 people remains unknown as search and rescue operations continue, despite the limited resources available to the teams.

He noted that Israel's refusal to allow the entry of necessary equipment and supplies into Gaza is hampering rescue efforts and preventing teams from extracting victims and providing humanitarian intervention at the required speed. He warned that time is running out as entire families remain trapped under the building's debris.

The Civil Defense spokesperson also warned that the disaster at 'Al-Saada' is not an isolated incident, pointing out that around 2,000 damaged buildings at risk of collapse are still inhabited, as there are no alternatives or enough space to establish new shelters. This leaves thousands of Palestinians facing the threat of further building collapses.

He confirmed that thousands of missing persons remain trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings across the Gaza Strip, with rescue teams unable to reach them due to a lack of heavy machinery and equipment. Basal called on Nickolay Mladenov, the official responsible for Gaza at the "Peace Council," to intervene immediately and take responsibility for the building collapse disaster. He also urged the international community and countries guaranteeing the ceasefire agreement to act swiftly and provide excavators, bulldozers, and heavy equipment needed for rescue operations, as well as to prevent further collapses that threaten residents' lives.

The collapse of the 'Al-Saada' building comes as thousands of Palestinians continue to live in war-damaged buildings, forced by bombardment and destruction to seek any shelter available amid a severe displacement crisis and a lack of alternatives.

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