GAZA CITY — At least 12 Palestinians, including five children, were killed after a seven-storey residential building damaged during the Gaza war collapsed overnight, according to rescue officials.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that another 14 people were injured and nearly 100 were believed to be trapped beneath the rubble as rescue teams searched for survivors. The building had previously been damaged in an Israeli strike and was being used by families seeking shelter.
Raed Al-Dahshan, director of Gaza City’s civil defence service, said at least 10 families had been living in the building and rescuers could still hear voices from beneath the debris. Rescue efforts were being hampered by a severe shortage of heavy machinery, forcing some workers to dig through rubble by hand.
Alessandro Mrakic, head of the UN Development Programme’s Gaza office, said UN rescuers and Egypt’s relief agency were assisting. He warned that about 400 damaged buildings were at risk of collapse, while Gaza’s civil defence service says roughly 2,000 damaged buildings are currently inhabited by families.
The widespread destruction has left many Palestinians with few safe shelter options. The United Nations estimates that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has generated about 61 million tonnes of rubble and debris that could take years to clear.
A US-backed ceasefire agreed in October 2025 halted large-scale fighting but has not ended Israeli strikes, while progress toward a permanent settlement has remained limited. Hamas and Israel continue to accuse each other of violating the agreement.
Source: Reuters
