Key facts
- Gaza officials are facing major challenges in evacuating residents from war-damaged buildings.
- The Al-Saada apartment block in Gaza City collapsed on September 16, killing 21 people.
- More than 2,000 buildings in Gaza have been classified as being at risk of collapse.
- An emergency plan aims to evacuate and demolish 255 buildings most at risk.
- Obstacles include families refusing to evacuate, funding shortages, lack of heavy demolition equipment, and limited safe land for relocation.
- Israel's military stated it is committed to minimizing harm to civilians and that activities are based on operational necessity.
Officials in Gaza are facing significant hurdles in their efforts to evacuate residents from war-damaged buildings that are at risk of collapse, a situation exacerbated by the recent deadly collapse of an apartment block. The Al-Saada building in Gaza City's Al-Rimal neighborhood collapsed in the early hours of September 16, killing 21 people and leaving at least 45 survivors rescued from the rubble.
Gaza authorities announced on Sunday an emergency plan to evacuate people from 255 buildings deemed most at risk and demolish them. However, the plan is hampered by several major obstacles, according to Ismail Al-Thawabta, head of the Hamas-run Gaza government's media office. These include some families refusing to leave unsafe structures despite warnings, severe funding shortages, a lack of heavy equipment necessary for safe demolition, and limited availability of safe land to relocate displaced populations.
Husni Muhanna, spokesperson for the Gaza City municipality, described these buildings as "ticking time bombs" for residents, especially with the weather expected to worsen into winter. The United Nations Development Programme estimates that around 400 buildings are at risk of collapse, with its Gaza office head, Alessandro Mrakic, noting that a shortage of equipment meant people had to dig through rubble with their hands after the Al-Saada building fell. He stressed the need for oil and spare parts to maintain existing machinery and warned that "we are running against time."
Large-scale reconstruction in Gaza has not yet commenced, with efforts to achieve a ceasefire and withdrawal stalled. The population of over 2 million people is largely confined to makeshift tents or overcrowded, damaged buildings. Palestinian and UN officials attribute the lack of heavy machinery and materials to Israeli restrictions. COGAT, the Israeli military agency coordinating aid, stated that entry of heavy equipment and reconstruction materials would not be authorized until Hamas disarms, a claim denied by the militant group. Israel's military stated it is committed to minimizing harm to civilians and that any activities are based on operational necessity, adding that it did not strike the Al-Saada building itself, though it did not respond to questions about damage from strikes on the surrounding area.
Mohammad Arafa, head of the Gaza Engineers Association, indicated that the Al-Saada building's collapse was likely due to structural weakness from bombardment damaging its foundations. However, residents like Feryal Abu Ghanem and Bassam Naseer stated that people had no other options for shelter and feared similar collapses in other damaged buildings. Eyad Azzam, who lost his wife and son in the collapse, shared a video of his son being rescued and highlighted the desperate situation, asking, "But where shall I go? Even in the street there's no place."