Gaza families salvage iron from ruins to reinforce tents as winter storms hit

GAZA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- As a powerful winter storm batters the Gaza Strip, Palestinians are scavenging iron bars from the ruins of their bombed-out homes to reinforce makeshift tents that have proven no match for the wind and rain.

In the al-Jalaa neighborhood of Gaza City, 55-year-old Ali al-Hajjar used a heavy hammer to pry metal reinforcement rods from the cracked concrete pillars of his former house.

"I am no longer searching the rubble for personal belongings, but for materials to protect my family from the winter," al-Hajjar told Xinhua.

Since an Oct. 10 ceasefire ended the latest round of fighting, al-Hajjar said his family of seven has received neither a tent nor alternative housing. After a recent storm collapsed their previous shelter -- a flimsy construction of wood and nylon -- the family spent the night in the open, their blankets and mattresses soaked.

The practice of "mining" ruins for structural steel has become a widespread survival tactic across Gaza, particularly in areas where destruction was most severe. Residents reshape the salvaged metal into arches to support tent roofs, allowing rainwater to run off rather than pool and collapse the structure.

"We are dismantling what remains of our homes to build simple shelters," al-Hajjar said.

The trend highlights a desperate adaptation to the shortage of construction materials. Israel continues to restrict the entry of building supplies into the enclave, and the high cost of cement on the local market has made formal repairs impossible for most.

In the Shati refugee camp, Mohammed al-Shanti, 47, and his family collected iron from their destroyed home to erect a cluster of reinforced tents. He said traditional tents have become unusable as floors turn to mud and water seeps inside.

"The iron and concrete being reused would be discarded if reconstruction began," al-Shanti said. "Its use now is a temporary measure dictated by necessity."

The humanitarian crisis is deepening as temperatures drop. The Hamas-run government media office recently warned that more than 288,000 families lack adequate shelter, estimating that 300,000 tents and mobile housing units are needed to meet the demand.

For residents like Abbas Saud, who also began extracting iron after seeing neighbors do the same, the risks of handling heavy debris are outweighed by the need for stability.

"Many families are now reusing iron due to the lack of housing alternatives and delays in the arrival of caravans," Saud said, noting that while the makeshift shelters do not meet safety standards, they provide a measure of resistance against the elements.

"These measures are not a preferred choice," Saud added. "It is an adaptation to conditions imposed by the war."