Gaza rescuers on Wednesday combed through the wreckage of a bombed-out apartment building that collapsed overnight, killing at least 20 Palestinians, including six children, and trapping dozens of others beneath the rubble.
The incident highlights the ongoing danger for tens of thousands of Palestinians who live in an estimated 2,000 buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes across Gaza.
Rescue workers said 14 others were injured when the seven-story building collapsed. Nearly 100 more people were believed to be trapped under the rubble.
A video obtained by Reuters showed rescue workers trying to pull out two people from under a collapsed wall. Another video circulated on social media showed Gaza‘s civil defense spokesperson, Mahmoud Basal, carrying a little girl, wrapped in a bloodstained scarf, in his hands.
Raed Al-Dahshan, the director of Gaza City’s civil defense service, said at least 10 families lived in the collapsed building and there was still hope of finding survivors.
“We are still hearing voices from under the rubble, so there is still hope to find people,” Dahshan said.
Alessandro Mrakic, head of the United Nations Development Programme’s Gaza office, said rescuers from some U.N. agencies were taking part in the rescue efforts, which he described as difficult due to the lack of proper machinery. Egypt’s relief agency was also taking part in rescue efforts.
“The situation, as you see, is tragic because we don’t have the equipment and machinery that is needed. So there are actually people that are digging with their bare hands. We need to prepare (for more deaths),” Mrakic said.
“There are approximately 400 buildings at risk of collapse. And we know that these buildings will collapse, especially now with the upcoming winter,” he added.
Palestinian and U.N. officials blame Israel’s restrictions on Gaza for the lack of heavy machinery in the territory. Israel says its curbs aim to keep equipment out of the hands of militant groups.
“Today’s tragedy underscores the grave risks faced by families living in these structures and the urgent need for safer alternatives. No one should have to risk their life simply to find a safe place to shelter,” said Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza — launched after Hamas’ deadly raid into Israel in October 2023 — has generated around 61 million tons of wreckage and debris that could take seven years to clear, according to the U.N.
Dahshan warned residents to stay away from wrecked buildings due to the risk of collapse. The local rescue service says about 2,000 damaged buildings are inhabited by families.
“The limited availability of shelter options forced residents to move into this building, believing it was safe. However, at one point it collapsed entirely, tragically crashing down on people as they slept,” Dahshan said.
Many families have told Reuters in the past months that they resorted to living in partially damaged buildings to protect themselves against wind and rainstorms, and because of the lack of new tents for the homeless.
An October U.S.-backed ceasefire halted large-scale fighting in Gaza, but it has not ended Israeli strikes and there has been little progress on steps toward permanent peace.
Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire and undermining efforts to implement President Donald Trump’s broader plan to end the Gaza conflict, which includes an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the disarmament of Hamas.
Israel says Hamas has been violating the deal.
On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes on a vehicle killed at least two Palestinians, one a child, and wounded seven others in what appeared to be a double-tap strike in the northern Gaza Strip neighborhood of Sheikh Radwan, according to medics.
The Israeli military said it had struck a militant in the area, without elaborating, and separately that it struck a Hamas commander in the Rafah Brigade, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
More than 1,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory’s health officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed.
Hamas does not usually disclose information about deaths among its fighters.
