Six Palestinians, including two children, were rescued alive on Wednesday after part of a residential building collapsed in the northern Gaza Strip due to a heavy storm, according to the Civil Defense.

The incident occurred in the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, when the upper floor of a three-storey building gave way under the impact of intense rainfall and strong winds brought by a low-pressure weather system affecting the enclave since Monday.

Rescue teams managed to pull all six civilians from beneath the debris, confirming that they were in stable condition.

The ongoing weather depression has brought torrential rain, violent gusts, and storms, significantly increasing the risks faced by Gaza’s displaced population. Thousands of families are currently sheltering in deteriorating tents or structurally compromised buildings, many of which have already been weakened by repeated Israeli airstrikes since October 2023.

The danger has already proven fatal. On Tuesday, one Palestinian was killed and several others were injured when part of a rain-damaged building collapsed in Gaza City. Just last week, a winter storm claimed the lives of at least 14 people across the Strip.

Humanitarian agencies report widespread destruction caused by the storms. More than 53,000 displacement tents were either partially or fully flooded, swept away by floodwaters, or torn apart by strong winds, while at least 13 buildings collapsed across different areas of Gaza.

The unfolding humanitarian disaster is taking place against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing military campaign, which has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure. Since October 2023, nearly 70,700 Palestinians, the majority women and children, have been killed, and more than 171,000 injured, leaving the territory in ruins and its population exposed to both man-made and natural threats.