Gaza struggles to pull bodies from rubble as storms rock damaged buildings

Gaza authorities warned on Monday that more war-damaged buildings could collapse as heavy rain batters the devastated enclave, hampering efforts to recover bodies still trapped under rubble.

At least two buildings collapsed on Friday, killing a minimum of 12 people, according to local health officials. Storms have also flooded and washed away tents sheltering displaced families, causing deaths from exposure.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in October after two years of intense fighting, but humanitarian agencies say aid entering Gaza remains severely limited, leaving nearly the entire population homeless.

Read More: Hamas warns against Israeli plans to “re-engineer” Gaza, displace Palestinians

Gaza Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal urged the international community to provide mobile homes and caravans instead of tents. “If people are not protected today, we will witness more victims — children, women, entire families — inside these buildings,” he said.

Mohammad Nassar said the six-storey building where his family was staying, previously damaged by Israeli strikes, collapsed on Friday. The family had earlier been forced out of a tent by flooding during bad weather.

“I saw my son’s hand sticking out from under the ground,” Nassar said. “My son was under the rubble and we were unable to get him out.” His 15-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter were killed.

Gaza authorities estimate around 9,000 bodies remain buried under rubble from Israeli bombing, but say they lack heavy machinery to speed up recovery. On Monday, rescue workers retrieved the remains of about 20 people from a building bombed in December 2023, where around 60 people, including 30 children, were believed to be sheltering.