Gazans Build Shelters From Rubble Of Destroyed Homes In Khan Yunis

Palestinians in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip salvage iron from the rubble of homes destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war and use it to construct shelters.With hammers in hand, they work tirelessly to extract iron bars from shattered concrete. According to them, this is the only way find a shelter as building materials are not allowed to enter the territory through the border crossings.  "We built this house (shelter) because there was no alternative due to the closure of the border crossings -- the building materials are not allowed in, food supplies barely getting through. So, of course, we had to look for an alternative that was available to us, and that alternative was the iron available from the destroyed house," said Aatwa Zaarab, one of the shelter builders.Explaining how they work, Zaarab said, "We broke the concrete we extracted from the destroyed house during the war, we straightened it, and shaped it into an arch to let the water run on it and not get in."He said that they considered extracting the iron from the concrete because it was less expensive, but required physical effort. Despite the hardship, these improvised shelters offer a measure of safety and dignity amid the devastation. The builders hold onto hope that one day, borders will reopen and they can rebuild proper homes for their familiesHisham Abu Aayah, another shelter builder, hoped that the border crossings would open, allowing cement and iron to enter, and heavy machinery to remove the rubble so that they could build a house where they could settle and rest, and forget the worries, fear, and terror that they had suffered. (With AFP inputs)