10 dead, dozens missing after war-damaged apartment block collapses in Gaza

Civil Defence workers attempt to rescue people trapped beneath the rubble of a residential building that had been damaged in an earlier Israeli strike during the war and collapsed on Wednesday, in Gaza City.

At least 10 Palestinians, including children, were killed after a six-storey apartment building collapsed in western Gaza City overnight, with dozens more feared trapped under the rubble, local authorities and witnesses said on Wednesday.The building, located in the Tal al-Hawa area, was housing families displaced by the war with Israel when it collapsed onto nearby residential structures and tents. Gaza's Civil Defence said rescue teams were searching for survivors and recovering bodies from the wreckage.Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal said the bodies of eight people, including children, had initially been recovered along with 15 injured people."The bodies of eight martyrs, including children and 15 injured individuals have been recovered from the rubble," Basal said.Basal said more than 60 people were missing. Al Jazeera, citing Gaza's Civil Defence, later reported that at least 12 people had died, including five children, while local witnesses and journalists said six families were trapped beneath the collapsed building.Rescue teams worked through the rubble alongside residents, with footage verified by Al Jazeera showing children being pulled from the wreckage.

In one video, a young girl was rescued alive. Other survivors, including children, were seen emerging from the debris before being taken away by ambulances. Witnesses said cries for help could be heard from beneath the concrete as rescuers tried to reach those trapped.The Civil Defence said the building had suffered structural damage from Israeli strikes. Local media reported that it had previously been hit in an Israeli bombing, leaving cracks and weakening its structure before the collapse.Across Gaza, thousands of homes and apartment blocks damaged or partially destroyed during the war remain uninhabitable and vulnerable to collapse.Many displaced Palestinians are living in makeshift shelters or damaged buildings. Rescue operations have also been hampered by shortages of heavy equipment and construction materials, making it difficult for Civil Defence teams to safely clear rubble and reach people trapped underneath.Note: The supplied sources give conflicting death tolls, with Gaza Civil Defence cited at 12 and the AFP report at eight. The headline and intro use the requested 10 figure, but the body preserves the differing reported counts for accuracy.