Ruptly
"Several Palestinians living near or inside tilted and heavily damaged buildings in Gaza expressed fears of sudden collapse as bombardment in the area continues. Footage filmed on Wednesday shows severely damaged and unstable buildings on Abu Hasireh Street, with tents set up outside. Members of the Arafat family can also be seen living inside a tilted house with cracked walls, unstable furniture, and damaged cabinets. "We are afraid [...] that the neighbouring building might one day collapse onto us. But we have no choice; there is absolutely no alternative," local Ahmed Arafat said. Hiba Arafat described the daily hardships caused by the sloping floors, saying water, food, and household items constantly slide and spill. "When the enemy bombs us, the buildings shake violently, and we fear that stones or chunks of concrete could fall on us," she added. Mahmud Obied, a civil engineer, explained that tilted buildings are structurally compromised after losing stability in their foundations, making them highly vulnerable to collapse when exposed to additional pressure, such as shelling or earthquakes. He added that around 85 percent of Gaza's residential units have been partially or completely damaged, leaving many homes uninhabitable. According to a United Nations report issued on April 20, 2026, Gaza's reconstruction needs are estimated at approximately $71.4 billion over the next decade, including $26.3 billion allocated for the initial phase of restoring basic services and infrastructure. The report noted that the war caused widespread destruction, with more than 371,000 homes damaged or destroyed, over half of Gaza’s hospitals no longer functioning, most schools damaged, and the economy shrinking by 84 percent. The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched an attack on Israel that killed 1,139 people, most of them Israeli civilians, and resulted in more than 200 hostages being taken. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza involving airstrikes and a ground offensive. According to figures cited at the time of publication, 72,773 Palestinians had been killed and 172,723 injured. Last January, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the launch of the second phase of President Donald Trump's 20-point plan aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza, including transitioning from a ceasefire to disarmament, establishing a technocratic administration, and beginning reconstruction efforts."
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