Gaza: At least 20 killed in deadly building collapse, search for survivors continues

Search and rescue operations continued in Gaza City on Wednesday following the collapse of a bombed-out building that killed at least 20 people, according to reports. The incident has highlighted the precarious situation of displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip who shelter wherever they can, including in structures damaged during the war between Israel and Hamas fighters. “I am devastated by reports of people trapped under the rubble,” the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ramiz Alakbarov, said in a statement. Roughly 100 people, including 50 children, were living in the building at the time, he added. Alakbarov commended the humanitarian community which quickly mobilized to support the emergency response. Alakbarov, adding that tents, tarpaulins and other non-food items must also arrive in the next four weeks. “Every possible effort must be made to save lives, protect people from further harm and provide families with safer places to live,” he said, stressing that “every minute counts.”.

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