Residents of Gaza are taking the risk of living in damaged buildings despite their possibility of collapse, opting to live with a roof over their heads than stay in tents that do little to shelter them from the cold, rain and wind.
The enclave had been under a cold front that brought with it heavy rain and strong winds that led to the collapse of 20 damaged houses and buildings in less than ten days, claiming the lives of over 15 Palestinians.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, a Civil Defense spokesman warned against delaying in tackling the issue of damaged buildings.
A building collapsed in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northern Gaza in the early morning on Sunday, killing a man, his wife, two children and granddaughter, who had lost her father and son during the war.
Civil Defense teams managed to rescue three members of the family from under the rubble of the multi-storey building that had been partially damaged during the conflict.
In just the past ten days, no less than six buildings collapsed in Sheikh Radwan.
Experts believed that the Israeli forces’ demolition operations have raised the risk of collapse of damaged buildings.
The forces are deploying booby-trapped vehicles and remotely detonating them. The strength of the detonations can be felt several kilometers away, even in Israel itself.
Israel is carrying out these operations along the so-called yellow line that is serving as a new military boundary in Gaza.
Civil Defense spokesman in Gaza Mahmoud Basal said over 90 residential buildings are at the risk of collapse because they are partially damaged. Thousands of people live in those houses and have no other shelter.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that specialized teams have carried out field tours and inspections of the buildings, urging residents to evacuate them given the risk.
He added that the Civil Defense is facing a shortage in tools to rescue people from a building in case of a collapse, saying teams are relying on primitive means to rescue people from under the rubble.
Meanwhile, people sheltering in tents can do little to shield themselves from the cold, Basal added. The tents are prone to taking in rainwater and have already been damaged by the elements.
He underlined the need to come to the aid of the people of Gaza and to rebuild the enclave because delays are only putting lives in danger.
