In the early hours of Wednesday morning, in Gaza, the collapse of a war-damaged building claimed the lives of 20 people, including six children. This incident also injured at least 14 others and trapped dozens under the rubble.
Search and Rescue Status
Rescue teams are still searching through the debris and in many cases are trying with their bare hands, as heavy equipment is not available in this devastated Palestinian strip. Raed Al-Dahshan, the director of civil defense services in Gaza City, stated that sounds are still being heard from under the rubble and there is hope of finding survivors. He added that at least 10 families lived in this building.
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Mohannad Al-Masharawi, one of the residents of this building, said: "My friends and neighbors live in this building. I have come to help my friend retrieve some clothes and mattresses. He now has no shelter or home."
Risks and Challenges
As the search for victims under the rubble continues, the death toll is likely to rise. Alessandro Merckx, head of the UN Development Program office in Gaza, described the situation as extremely concerning, stating: "The situation, you see, is catastrophic because we do not have the necessary equipment and machinery." He also warned that with the approach of the autumn and winter seasons, rainfall could cause instability in hundreds of other buildings in this war-torn area.
Merckx continued: "Almost 400 buildings are at risk of collapse, and we know that these buildings will especially collapse with the approach of winter." Reports indicate that around 2000 damaged buildings in Gaza are still inhabited by Palestinian families, many of whom have stated that this is the only way to shelter from the wind and rain.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories, emphasized that today’s disaster highlights the serious risks families face in these buildings and reminds us of the urgent need for safer options. He added: "No one should risk their life to find a safe place to take shelter."
Palestinian officials and the UN have blamed Israel's restrictions on Gaza as the reason for the lack of access to heavy machinery in this strip, stating that Israel wants to prevent these devices from falling into the hands of Hamas militants, who used this equipment in their deadly attack on Israel in October 2023, followed by Israel's devastating assault on Gaza that has so far killed over 73,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
Since the US-backed ceasefire in October 2025, over 1300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza, and the Israeli army has reported that four of its soldiers have also lost their lives.
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