A damaged building collapsed in Gaza: at least 20 people have died, and dozens are being searched for under the rubble

A damaged building collapsed in Gaza City onto the tents of displaced Palestinian families, killing at least 20 people and injuring another 25. Rescuers continue to search through the rubble after hearing the voices of people, including children, believed to be trapped.

Gaza’s civil defense announced that it had recovered the bodies of five children. Operations are being carried out with difficulty because the teams lack heavy machinery and are forced to dig, including with their hands. The building, which had several floors and four apartments on each level, had been severely weakened by Israeli attacks during the war.

The incident highlights the risks faced by tens of thousands of Palestinians living in approximately 2,000 damaged buildings in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian officials and UN representatives accuse Israel’s restrictions of preventing the entry of necessary equipment, while Israel maintains that the measures are intended to prevent supplies from reaching militant groups.

Similar collapses have occurred over the past two years amid a housing shortage and mass displacement. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war.