Gaza Reports 5 Deaths in 24 Hours Amid Ongoing Israeli Strikes and Collapsing Buildings
Gaza's Ministry of Health reported five fatalities and 28 injuries within the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths since the ceasefire to 1,386 and injuries to 4,784. Among the recent casualties were three new deaths and two individuals succumbing to previous wounds. Additionally, 831 bodies have been recovered from rubble during this period.
Friday saw a Palestinian killed and others injured, including a child in critical condition, following an Israeli strike on a motorcycle in the Al-Taqwa camp in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. Another Palestinian died from an Israeli drone strike near the Al-Baidar area in western Gaza City. In the central Strip, Karam Musaed Al-Masar'a was killed by Israeli occupation forces in the Nuseirat camp, and two women were injured by Israeli fire in Nuseirat and Bureij camps. Three Palestinians were also wounded by an Israeli drone east of Bureij camp. Israeli artillery shelled areas northeast of Bureij camp, while eastern Gaza City and the Egyptian Towers area in northwest Beit Lahia faced Israeli shelling. Israeli gunfire was also reported near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
The ongoing strikes occur as Gaza faces a severe threat from damaged buildings. The recent collapse of the Al-Saada building in Gaza City killed 21 Palestinians, including 12 children and 5 women, and injured 14 others. In a separate incident, five children were injured by the partial collapse of a residential building in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, damaged by previous Israeli shelling.
The Ministry of Public Works and Housing stated that over 2,000 damaged buildings in Gaza are at risk of collapse, warning of increasing dangers to residents, especially with winter approaching. An estimated 76% of housing units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, affecting approximately 1.7 million of the Strip's 2.1 million residents. Many families are forced to reside in these precarious structures due to a lack of alternatives and stalled reconstruction efforts.
Humanitarian organizations have warned that rain and adverse weather conditions could further weaken these buildings. Clearing rubble and securing structures requires heavy equipment, fuel, and materials that are subject to entry restrictions into Gaza.
Qatar announced an agreement with the United Nations to supply approximately 1.3 million liters of fuel to Gaza to support essential health services and humanitarian operations, particularly for hospitals and critical civilian infrastructure. Doha stated this new grant is part of its emergency aid, having provided around 30 million liters of fuel to Gaza between October 7, 2023, and the end of March.
