GAZA: Rescue teams were searching through rubble Wednesday after a war-damaged building collapsed in Gaza City, killing at least 12 people and leaving dozens feared trapped inside.
The six-story residential building collapsed in the Tal al-Hawa area, where several families had been living despite warnings that the structure was unsafe. Rescue crews continued digging through the debris as they searched for survivors.
Raed al-Dahshan, director of the Civil Defence in Gaza City, said rescuers could still hear voices beneath the rubble, raising hopes that some people could be found alive.
The rescue operation was initially carried out with limited equipment. Civil Defence workers were forced to dig through the rubble by hand because of restrictions on heavy machinery entering Gaza.
Some heavy equipment was later made available through U.N. agencies and Egyptian relief workers, allowing rescue teams to continue clearing the debris.
Alessandro Mrakic, head of the U.N. Development Programme’s Gaza office, said between 70 and 100 people were believed to be trapped under the collapsed building.
“The situation, as you see, is tragic because we don't have the equipment and machinery that is needed,” Mrakic told reporters at the scene. “There are actually people digging with their bare hands.”
Mrakic also warned that about 400 other war-damaged buildings across Gaza could be at imminent risk of collapse, particularly as winter approaches. He called for machinery, spare parts and other equipment to support rescue operations.
The U.N.’s humanitarian relief coordinator, Ramiz Alakbarov, urged Israeli authorities to approve deliveries of heavy machinery, along with tents, tarpaulins and other emergency supplies ahead of the winter rains.
The collapse underscores the dangers facing Palestinians who remain in damaged buildings because of the shortage of safe shelter. The U.N. estimates that about 80% of structures across Gaza have been damaged or destroyed during the war.
More than 1.9 million people, or about 90% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced, according to the U.N. About 1.2 million are currently living in tents or makeshift shelters.
The building collapse came amid continued violence despite a ceasefire agreed in October. Israeli airstrikes and other attacks have continued to cause casualties and damage in populated areas, according to U.N. officials.
On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes killed at least five Palestinians, including two children and a Hamas commander, according to Palestinian health officials and Hamas sources. The Israel Defense Forces said it had killed a Hamas commander in southern Gaza and another fighter in the north.
The war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry says more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began.
