At least 20 people, including five children, have been killed after a war damaged six storey building collapsed in Gaza City, with dozens of people still feared trapped beneath the rubble.
The building collapsed in the Tal al Hawa area while about 10 families were reportedly living inside, despite warnings that the structure was unsafe.
Gaza Civil Defence rescuers initially searched through the debris with their bare hands because of restrictions on heavy equipment entering the territory. They later received machinery from UN agencies and an Egyptian relief organisation.
Raed al Dahshan, head of Civil Defence in Gaza City, said rescuers were still hearing voices beneath the rubble and hoped to find more survivors. UN officials estimated that between 70 and 100 people could be trapped under the collapsed building.
UN Development Programme official Alessandro Mrakic said the rescue effort remained severely limited by shortages of machinery, fuel and spare parts. UN humanitarian coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov urged Israeli authorities to allow more heavy equipment into Gaza to support rescue operations.
The UN estimates that about 80% of structures across Gaza have been damaged or destroyed during the war. More than 1.9 million people, around 90% of the population, have been displaced, with about 1.2 million currently living in tents or makeshift shelters.
UN officials have warned that around 400 other damaged buildings could be at risk of collapse, particularly as winter rains approach. Israel says restrictions on equipment entering Gaza are intended to prevent Palestinian armed groups from obtaining materials that could be used for military purposes.
The collapse comes amid continued violence despite a ceasefire agreed last October. Palestinian health officials and Hamas sources said Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least five people, including two children and a Hamas commander. The Israeli military said it killed Hamas fighters in southern and northern Gaza.
The war began after the Hamas led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. Gaza’s Hamas run health ministry says more than 73,790 people have been killed in the territory since then, with the figures considered reliable by the UN.
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