Gaza, December 17, 2025: Six Palestinians, including two children, were rescued alive on Wednesday after part of a residential building collapsed during severe winter storms in northern Gaza, Gaza’s Civil Defence said.
The incident occurred in the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, when the upper roof of a three-storey building gave way amid a powerful low-pressure system that has battered the Gaza Strip since Monday. Rescue teams pulled the victims from beneath the rubble and reported that all were in stable condition.
Heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms have swept across the enclave for several days, compounding risks for hundreds of thousands of displaced residents sheltering in tents or structurally damaged buildings. Many of these shelters have been weakened by repeated air strikes since October 2023.
The latest rescue came a day after another deadly incident in Gaza City, where one person was killed and several others injured when rainfall triggered a partial building collapse. Civil Defence officials said at least 14 people were killed in storm-related incidents last week alone.
According to authorities, more than 53,000 displacement tents have been partially or completely flooded, torn by strong winds or swept away by torrents of water, while at least 13 buildings have collapsed across the territory.
Humanitarian agencies warn that harsh winter weather is worsening an already dire crisis in Gaza, where basic shelter, heating supplies and materials for repairs remain scarce. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Storm Byron has further aggravated conditions for thousands of displaced families living in overcrowded tents or damaged structures.
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, UNRWA said the storm had intensified risks for families forced from their homes, noting that people have died after buildings collapsed and children have succumbed to exposure to the cold.
“Storm Byron is worsening the already dire living conditions of thousands of people living in tents or damaged shelters,” the agency said, calling for immediate and unhindered access for humanitarian aid.
UNRWA added that restrictions on aid access have limited the scale of assistance reaching those in need. It stressed that Gaza requires around 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to meet the most basic shelter needs following widespread destruction of infrastructure.
Since last week, thousands of tents housing war survivors have turned into pools of water, soaking bedding, clothing and food supplies, and leaving families exposed to the cold without adequate protection.
Israel’s nearly two-year-long war on Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left much of the enclave in ruins. The fighting largely halted under a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October, but humanitarian agencies warn that Gaza remains highly vulnerable to further disasters as severe weather continues.
