Sana'a: The residents of Gaza City were surprised at dawn today, Wednesday, by a new massacre resulting from the repercussions of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Strip, as the "Al-Saada Building" collapsed on its residents and neighbors. The General Directorate of Civil Defense in the Strip announced the recovery of the bodies of 21 people who were missing under the rubble and the evacuation of dozens of people from the building and the surrounding areas.
According to Yemen News Agency, the Directorate stated in a press release that its crews received distress signals around 2:30 a.m. from the administration of the shelter center adjacent to the stricken Al-Saada Building, indicating sudden cracks and fissures in the building, which was housing more than 100 displaced people. The specialized crews immediately headed to the scene with support from the Egyptian Committee, the Red Cross, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The crews managed to evacuate 35 people from the building and adjacent tents, transferring them to safe places away from the danger zone while ensuring their health and safety. Despite these efforts, after signs of the building's impending collapse, 45 injured people were treated and transferred to hospitals in cooperation with ambulance service providers. Unfortunately, the collapse led to the recovery of 21 bodies after hours of arduous work by the Civil Defense crews.
Resistance factions have declared that the massacre reveals a new chapter of the catastrophic humanitarian repercussions of the ongoing war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" has held the Israeli forces responsible for the catastrophe, emphasizing that it is a direct extension of the brutal war in the Strip. Hamas has warned of a broader humanitarian catastrophe, citing the Civil Defense's announcement of approximately two thousand dilapidated and inhabited buildings at risk of collapse, endangering thousands of citizens.
Mohammed Al-Haj Moussa, spokesperson for the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, described the collapse as field evidence of continuing aggression. He asserted that the building's structural damage resulted from previous bombings and criticized the siege that prevents entry of repair materials and shelter supplies. He holds the Israeli government and the American administration responsible and calls for international intervention to force open crossings and allow necessary equipment and supplies.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine also holds the enemy fully responsible, urging international action to pursue sanctions against the aggressors and halt the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine condemned the collapse, attributing it to the Israeli enemy's continued restrictions on entry of rescue and construction materials, which leaves families vulnerable in unsafe conditions.
The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement emphasized the extended crime against the Palestinian people, obstructing rescue efforts and recovery processes due to continued siege and limited resources. They call for global support and pressure to break the siege and bring in necessary aid and reconstruction materials.
Internationally, the International Committee of the Red Cross highlighted the dire conditions in Gaza, where displaced civilians endure inadequate shelter and lack basic needs. They warned about increasing risks of building collapses, especially with the approaching winter season. Ramiz Al-Kabarov, Humanitarian Coordinator in the occupied Palestinian territories, stressed the urgent need for safer alternatives for displaced families and called for urgent approval for the entry of heavy machinery and equipment necessary for rescue operations.
Amidst these dire circumstances, the Government Media Office in Gaza has once again sounded the alarm over the thousands of cracked buildings still threatened with collapse. Holding the Israeli authorities and the international community accountable, they call for immediate intervention to lift the siege, open crossings, and bring in essential rescue and relief supplies.
The tragedy of the Al-Saada Building underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the blockade and aggression aim to displace the population. Despite these challenges, the Palestinian people remain resolute, committed to their land and enduring in the face of adversity.
