‘Nowhere else to go’: Gaza families shelter in buildings that may collapse

Residents across Gaza report living in buildings that are visibly unstable after years of conflict, with some families sleeping beneath exposed concrete and twisted rebar. Humanitarian agencies including the Palestinian Red Crescent and local civil defence have warned occupants of the risks and recommended evacuation, but many say they have no safe alternative and cannot afford other housing. Individuals interviewed described constant fear and disrupted sleep because of shifting concrete and creaking structures. Abdullah Abu Hajar, 40, said he stays awake listening for sounds that might signal an imminent collapse while his wife and children try to sleep; about 17 families, or roughly 50 to 60 people, live in his six-storey building, which carries municipal notices labeling it unsafe. Others detailed makeshift adaptations: Masada Abu Jarad has pitched a tent under a partially collapsed roof that leaves her apartment open to the elements; Islam Hassanein and her five children cleared rubble from a third-floor room and use an outside bathroom because plumbing is broken. Residents expressed particular concern about winter, when rain and cold could worsen water infiltration and structural pressure on already weakened buildings. The housing emergency is part of a much larger reconstruction challenge. A joint assessment by the United Nations, World Bank and European Union found that as of October 2025 more than 371,000 housing units  about 76.6% of Gazas housing stock  had been destroyed or damaged, and estimated rebuilding needs at roughly $71.5 billion over the next decade. The September 16 collapse of a six-storey residential building in Gaza City, which killed 21 people including 12 children, has intensified warnings from municipal authorities and civil defence about the dangers posed by remaining damaged structures. Residents say repeated displacement, high costs and the lack of permitted or feasible reconstruction options leave them trapped between unsafe homes and no realistic alternatives. Local authorities and civil defence continue to issue evacuation notices, but for many survivors the prospect of leaving a hazardous building requires finding a destination and resources they do not have, leaving them to remain in damaged dwellings despite the risks.