Ministry of Interior and National Security:

▪ The collapse of the "Al-Saada" building over the heads of its residents raises concern about the وجود of hundreds of buildings at risk of collapse amid the absence of housing alternatives

▪ Upon receiving a report of the collapse of the "Al-Saada" building in the industrial area of Al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza at dawn today, Civil Defense and medical services teams, supported by the police, rushed to rescue those from under the rubble. The number of trapped people is estimated at about 100

▪ Civil Defense continued to recover the bodies of 21 martyrs from under the rubble over more than 15 continuous hours of work, including 12 children and 5 women, in addition to rescuing 45 citizens, including 14 injured who were transferred to hospitals for treatment, while others survived

▪ In light of this humanitarian disaster, the Ministry of Interior and National Security affirms the following:

— We extend our condolences to our Palestinian people, to the families of the victims and the bereaved due to this humanitarian disaster, and we offer condolences to the souls of the martyrs who perished under the rubble of the "Al-Saada" building.

— This tragedy sounds the alarm before the international community and the concerned parties that hundreds of homes and buildings in the Gaza Strip are at risk of collapse and may fall at any moment, amid the lack of options for residents and displaced people and the occupation's ban on bringing in temporary shelters, and the collapse of tents, especially with the approach of winter and the high risks it brings of wind and rain.

— We call on the international parties, mediators, and guarantors of the ceasefire agreement to act immediately to bring in temporary shelters urgently, in order to deal with this disaster and provide shelter alternatives for hundreds of thousands who live in worn-out tents and damaged homes exposed to collapse at any moment, and who lack even the minimum conditions for safe housing.

— We call on all concerned parties to provide the Civil Defense with the necessary capabilities so it can fulfill its duty in dealing with the effects of this and other disasters, as the crews faced major difficulties due to a shortage of equipment and capabilities, and a number of lives could have been saved if those supplies had been available. There are also thousands of martyrs still under the rubble of destroyed buildings during the war, waiting for their bodies and remains to be recovered.

— The occupation continues the crime of genocide against the people of the Gaza Strip, without adhering to any of the terms of the ceasefire agreement, as the daily cycle of killing, assassinations, gunfire, and artillery shelling continues daily, in addition to the occupation's renunciation of its commitments and its prevention of the entry of relief and humanitarian supplies, reconstruction and building materials, medical supplies, and all means of life, amid the silence of all parties in the face of this ongoing genocide.

— The continuation of silence over this tragedy, and the passing of months and years over the displaced without providing suitable housing or beginning the removal of rubble in preparation for reconstruction, constitutes a humanitarian crime that requires urgent action to end this catastrophic reality.

— We salute the efforts of the men on the ground from the Civil Defense teams, the Medical Services Directorate, and the General Directorate of Police who worked for long hours with all their energy and the available resources, to reduce the scale of the disaster and its losses, rescue a number of citizens alive, and recover the bodies of the victims.

— We extend our sincere thanks to the various government bodies and local and international institutions that rushed to support the Civil Defense teams in recovery and rescue operations from the first moments of the event, foremost among them Gaza Municipality, the Ministry of Public Works, the Egyptian Committee, the International Committee of the Red Cross, OCHA, and the United Nations Development Programme UNDP.

— We affirm that the Ministry of Interior and National Security and its various agencies continue to carry out their duty and work with all the capabilities and resources at their disposal despite their scarcity, in order to provide services to citizens and assist them in light of these catastrophic conditions.