At least 20 people, including six children, were killed when a war-damaged building collapsed in the Gaza Strip early Wednesday, DW reported. At least 14 others were injured, while dozens remained trapped beneath the rubble as rescue workers continued their search.
Rescuers were often working with their bare hands because heavy machinery is scarce in the territory. Raed Al-Dahshan, director of Gaza City’s civil defense service, said voices could still be heard beneath the debris and that at least 10 families had lived in the building.
The collapse left residents without shelter as the search continued. One resident, Mohannad Al-Mashharawi, told AFP, cited by DW, that a friend and neighbors had lived there and that he had come to help recover clothes and mattresses. The death toll was expected to rise as victims were located.
Alessandro Mrakic, head of the United Nations Development Program’s Gaza office, said the lack of equipment had made the rescue operation especially difficult. He also warned that approaching wetter autumn and winter weather could further destabilize bomb-damaged structures, saying about 400 buildings were at risk of collapse.
Authorities said roughly 2,000 damaged buildings in Gaza remained occupied by Palestinian families who had nowhere else to go. Many families have said the structures provide their only protection from wind and rain because sufficient tents are unavailable.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said the collapse highlighted the dangers faced by families living in damaged buildings and the need for safer shelter. Palestinian and UN officials attributed the shortage of heavy machinery to Israeli restrictions; Israel says it seeks to prevent such equipment from reaching Hamas.