A multi-storey building in Gaza City that had sustained damage in recent fighting collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and leaving dozens more unaccounted for beneath the rubble, local officials and rescue workers said.
Rescue and recovery
Emergency crews, joined by residents, were working at the scene to pull survivors from the debris. Rescuers warned that the casualty numbers were likely to rise as search operations continued, with teams using heavy equipment and hand tools to reach trapped people.
A home for several families
Local reports said the building housed roughly ten families, many of whose members were among those missing. The collapse has intensified fears about the safety of structurally damaged buildings across the territory, where people have continued to live in homes weakened by recent hostilities.
Wider implications
The incident underscores the humanitarian difficulties faced by civilians in densely populated areas affected by the fighting, including displacement and overcrowding. Humanitarian agencies and local authorities have repeatedly highlighted the risks posed by damaged infrastructure and called for safe access to carry out rescues and provide aid.
Authorities have not yet released a full list of the dead or missing, and investigations into the cause and circumstances of the collapse were ongoing.