Humanitarian aid hampered as Gaza building debris traps thousands

A six‑floor apartment block in Gaza's western sector gave way on Wednesday, pushing the death count to 21, including 11 children and six women, and injuring more than 25 others.

The edifice, known locally as Al‑Sada, had already been weakened by a prior Israeli strike. It was situated adjacent to the UNRWA headquarters for Palestinian refugees and provided shelter for roughly a hundred displaced residents.

Rescuers spent 16 hours at the scene, pulling 45 people to safety and recovering 21 bodies. Another 35 managed to escape unaided. Families gathered amid the wreckage, some manually removing rubble to locate missing kin.

Palestinian authorities claim that Israeli restrictions on the entry of heavy lifting machines are slowing down critical relief work. A Hamas‑linked media office warned that over 8,500 missing persons remain trapped beneath collapsed structures across Gaza due to the shortage of equipment.

With the colder season approaching, the Gaza civil defence head warned that more than 2,000 residential buildings could fail unless rescue tools are permitted entry. He called on nations backing a cease‑fire to facilitate the delivery of machinery, cautioning that a massive catastrophe could unfold at any time.