Gaza struggles to pull bodies from rubble as storms destroy buildings

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

At least two buildings collapsed on Friday, killing at least 12 people, according to local health officials. The storms have also flooded and swept away tents sheltering displaced families, causing deaths from exposure.

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

Read more: Hamas warns against Israeli plans to ‘redesign’ Gaza, displace Palestinians

Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal urged the international community to provide caravans 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-story building where his family lived, previously damaged by Israeli strikes, collapsed on Friday. The family had earlier been forced out of a tent due to flooding during bad weather.

“I saw my son’s hand coming out of the ground,” Nassar said. “My son was under the rubble and we couldn’t get him out.” His 15-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter were killed.

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