Between Rubble and Sky.. A Palestinian Family Fights for Survival in a Stairless Building in Al-Shati Camp

In the heart of the ravaged Al-Shati refugee camp, northwest of Gaza City, the tragedy of housing manifests in its most horrific forms within a destroyed building lacking stairs, where the family of citizen Jihad Miqdad has made the fourth floor their shelter. This building, which appears as a structure groaning under the weight of war, now embraces the family's dreams, suspended between the silence of the ruins and the fear of sudden collapse at any moment.

Jihad Miqdad, known as Abu Muhammad, recounts harsh details of the displacement and return journey during the war of extermination, where he received a threat of forced eviction from the occupation army, forcing him and his family to leave without belongings or food. A short time after their displacement, he returned to find his neighbors' homes razed to the ground, while his own home remained a concrete skeleton, lost between life and death, lacking light and safety.

The family describes living in this place as a daily test of patience, where the simplest life tasks have turned into a real risk. The process of fetching water from the tanks in the street requires an arduous journey to carry it up to the fourth floor via the remnants of the shattered staircase, putting family members in constant confrontation with the danger of slipping and falling.

The Miqdad children, whose faces have lost the sparkle of play, have become more proficient in the language of silence than anything else, while existential questions about their unknown future haunt them. These little ones live in isolation imposed by the war, surrounded by cracked walls and hanging balconies without protection, making every movement inside the house an unsafe adventure with unpredictable consequences.

In his statement to media sources, Abu Muhammad explained that the family suffered unspeakable bitterness, ending up sleeping in the streets before returning to this wreckage. He pointed out that the house has become dilapidated and extremely worn out, with no stairs to ascend and no lighting to illuminate the darkness of the nights they spend in constant anticipation.

For her part, Fatima Miqdad recounts the moments of terror she experienced when her foot slipped while trying to hang laundry on the damaged balcony. Fatima felt at that moment that her life was fading into thin air, confirming that the fear of falling now haunts both adults and children alike in this crumbling building.

Fatima confirms that the family's demands are simple and do not exceed the desire to obtain a 'caravan' or a mobile room to protect them from the danger of collapse, but these dreams clash with the stubbornness of the occupation. She adds bitterly that the desire to stay is what keeps them steadfast in this place, despite the loss of safety and the transformation of living into a daily test of hunger and thirst.

The building housing the family is nothing more than a concrete structure consisting of four floors that suffered massive partial destruction, leading to the complete disappearance of the stairs. The cracked walls and open balconies lack the most basic necessities of life, while the wreckage of the neighbors' elevator stands out as an additional threat that could lead to the collapse of the roof at any moment.

The story of the missing stairs in this house encapsulates the story of a people who have climbed the ladder of suffering to its utmost, as the family is forced to use a primitive wooden ladder to transport their basic needs. Abu Muhammad says that carrying heavy water gallons and climbing with them represents a significant physical and psychological burden, especially with the building shaking and defying gravity.

Field data indicate that the house stands on resilient pillars despite all the destruction, with the family sleeping with their eyes fixed on the sky, not in search of stars but in fear of the roof falling. Abu Muhammad warns that the weight of the destroyed elevator motor resting on the roof of their apartment represents a ticking time bomb that could end their lives in a moment of inattention.

On a general level, UN estimates indicate that about 92% of housing units in the Gaza Strip will have been damaged or completely destroyed by early 2026. This bitter reality has left hundreds of thousands of families without real shelter, exacerbating the suffering of the population amid the harsh winter and the ongoing blockade that prevents reconstruction.

Despite the ceasefire agreement entering into force last October, which stipulated facilitating the entry of shelter aid, the reality on the ground proves otherwise. The occupation authorities impose strict restrictions on crossings and prevent the entry of caravans and temporary housing, which represent a lifeline for thousands of displaced families.

Relief sources report that dozens of trucks loaded with shelter materials remain stuck for long days under the pretext of security concerns, hindering the implementation of the truce provisions. This deliberate obstruction has turned international agreements into incomplete promises, leaving families like the Miqdad family hostage to rubble and bitter cold without a near horizon for a solution.

The caravan, prohibited from crossing, remains a postponed dream for the Miqdad family, who find themselves forced to choose between the open air and a roof that could collapse at any moment. It is a story of Palestinian steadfastness, manifested in clinging to life above the ruins, awaiting a near relief that will end the chapters of this ongoing tragedy.

This wreckage might be slightly better than the street... We pray to God to ease our burdens and those of the entire Muslim nation.