A desperate rescue operation is underway in Gaza City after a war-damaged residential building collapsed overnight, killing at least 20 Palestinians, including five children, and leaving dozens feared trapped beneath the rubble.
The six-storey building, in the Tal al-Hawa area of western Gaza City, was sheltering displaced Palestinians when it came crashing down. Palestinian Civil Defence officials say 14 people were injured, while nearly 100 others are believed to remain missing or trapped beneath the wreckage.
Rescue crews and local residents have been working side by side, digging through concrete and twisted debris, often with their bare hands. Footage verified by Al Jazeera showed children being pulled alive from the rubble, while cries for help could be heard beneath the collapsed structure.
One young girl was among those rescued alive, while other survivors, including children, were pulled from the wreckage and rushed to ambulances. But the search remains painfully slow, with rescuers facing severe shortages of heavy machinery and specialised equipment.
Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal said teams were continuing to recover bodies and search for those still missing. He warned that the lack of appropriate equipment was making it extremely difficult to reach people buried deep beneath the debris.
Local officials say the building had already been weakened by earlier Israeli strikes, leaving cracks and structural damage before its collapse.
Palestinian authorities have also blamed restrictions on the entry of heavy equipment and construction materials for making both rescue operations and the repair of damaged buildings more difficult.
Israel has said restrictions on certain equipment are linked to concerns over its potential military use.
The collapse has highlighted a wider danger facing displaced Palestinians across Gaza. Reuters reports that about 2,000 damaged buildings remain occupied, while hundreds more are considered at risk of collapse. With safe accommodation scarce, many families have little choice but to shelter in structures already weakened by the war.
For rescuers at the scene, the priority remains finding those still alive beneath the concrete — as every passing hour makes the race against time more urgent.
