At least 11 people have been confirmed dead after a building collapsed in Gaza, with about 100 Palestinians, including an estimated 50 children, feared trapped beneath the rubble.
Civil defence rescuers said 12 people had so far been pulled alive from the debris, while emergency teams and residents continued efforts to locate others believed to be buried under the collapsed structure.
The building reportedly gave way at about 1am while residents were asleep.
According to the rescuers, the structure had already suffered partial damage during previous Israeli attacks. However, residents continued to live in the building because they had few or no alternative places to seek shelter.
The rescue operation has been hampered by a shortage of heavy equipment, forcing some workers and residents to clear sections of the rubble manually in an attempt to reach those trapped.
Alessandro Mrakic, head of the United Nations Development Programme’s Gaza office, said UN personnel were participating in the rescue operation alongside Egyptian relief workers.
Mrakic described the operation as difficult due to the lack of appropriate machinery, saying some rescuers were being forced to dig through the debris with their bare hands.
He also warned that hundreds of other damaged structures could pose a similar danger, with about 400 buildings reportedly at risk of collapse.
Palestinian and UN officials have blamed restrictions on the movement of heavy machinery into Gaza for the shortage of equipment. Israel says the restrictions are aimed at preventing militant groups from gaining access to materials that could be used for military purposes.
The collapse comes amid the continuing destruction caused by the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel.
The United Nations estimates that the conflict has left about 61 million tonnes of rubble and debris across Gaza, with the enormous volume expected to require years to remove.
