Gaza Building Collapse Kills 12 as Rescuers Dig Through Rubble by Hand

At least 12 Palestinians, among them five children, were killed and 14 others injured when a seven-storey apartment building in Gaza City collapsed overnight, according to the territory's civil defence service. Rescue teams said nearly 100 more people were believed to be trapped beneath the debris.

Emergency crews worked through Wednesday to reach survivors, hampered by the absence of heavy machinery. Raed Al-Dahshan, who heads the civil defence service in Gaza City, said at least 10 families had been living in the building and that faint voices could still be heard from under the wreckage.

"We are still hearing voices from under the rubble, so there is still hope to find people," Dahshan said. He urged residents to keep away from ruined structures, warning that the limited supply of shelter had pushed families into buildings they believed were safe. "At one point it collapsed entirely, tragically crashing down on people as they slept," he said.

Alessandro Mrakic, who leads the United Nations Development Programme's Gaza office, said UN agencies and Egypt's relief service had joined the rescue effort. He described the operation as difficult because of the shortage of equipment, with some workers digging with their bare hands. He added that roughly 400 buildings are at risk of collapse, particularly as winter approaches.

Palestinian and UN officials attribute the scarcity of heavy machinery in Gaza to Israeli restrictions, while Israel says its curbs are meant to prevent equipment from reaching militant groups.

The collapse underscores the danger facing thousands of families who have moved into damaged buildings. The local rescue service estimates that about 2,000 wrecked structures are inhabited. Many residents have said they took shelter in partially damaged buildings for protection from wind and rain, and because new tents were unavailable.

According to the United Nations, Israel's military campaign in Gaza — launched after Hamas' raid into Israel in October 2023 — has left around 61 million tons of debris that could take seven years to clear.

An October 2025 US-backed ceasefire halted large-scale fighting but has not stopped Israeli strikes, and progress towards a lasting peace has been limited. Hamas accuses Israel of violating the truce and obstructing US President Donald Trump's broader plan, which envisions an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas. Israel says Hamas has breached the agreement.

Gaza's health officials say more than 1,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since the ceasefire took effect. The Israeli military says four of its soldiers have been killed in the same period. Hamas generally does not disclose casualty figures among its fighters.