Gaza families shelter in buildings at risk of collapse

Thousands of people in Gaza are sheltering in damaged buildings that officials say could collapse, as reconstruction remains stalled after nearly three years of war between Israel and Hamas.

Gaza's civil defence says 2,000 buildings across the territory are at risk of collapse. The United Nations said 84% of all structures in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed by October 2025.

The danger has become more visible after 21 people, including 12 children, died last week in Gaza City when a six-storey building collapsed. Local authorities said the building had been hit repeatedly by Israeli airstrikes, while Israel denied striking it.

In Gaza City's Al-Shati Refugee Camp, Heba Arafat lives with her husband and six daughters in a tilted four-storey building where about 30 people now stay. She said her family returned after the October 2025 ceasefire because they had nowhere else to go.

Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, said last week that people across Gaza were living in “hundreds of damaged and unsafe shelters”.

Gaza City municipal workers mark buildings considered at risk. Hosni Muhanna, a Gaza City spokesman, said the homes posed a threat both to displaced people sheltering inside and to nearby residents, but said many people had no better option than unsafe buildings or displacement camps.

Israel has allowed aid into Gaza with restrictions since the US-brokered ceasefire in October 2025. It has also restricted the entry of equipment it says could have military use. Gazans and international NGOs say such equipment is needed for reconstruction, including machinery to clear rubble and parts to keep tools running.

A joint assessment published by the United Nations, World Bank and European Union in April said Gaza would require $71.4 billion in recovery and reconstruction spending over the next decade.