Building collapse in Gaza kills 16 as perilous conditions persist for Palestinians during truce

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A building housing half a dozen families gave out in Gaza City overnight into Wednesday, killing sixteen people as they slept and leaving rescuers digging through rubble for dozens more who'd been sheltering inside the structure.

The sudden collapse of the building, which was known to be unstable due to damage from Israeli strikes earlier in the war, underscored how perilous and desperate living conditions have grown for the majority of the enclave’s population as a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas stalls.

The sixteen dead include at least twelve women and children, according to Zaher al-Wahidi, a spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry. The toll was expected to rise as more bodies were recovered from the wreckage.

All of Gaza's roughly 2 million people now live in a stretch of land that makes up less half of the territory. They remain dependent on aid and are surrounded by Israeli troops who carry out strikes or attacks on a near-daily basis.

There’s been no reconstruction work since the ceasefire was agreed to almost a year ago. Israel has said it will not allow any rebuilding until Hamas disarms.

The level of destruction means Palestinians have been forced to choose between crowded tent camps or what's left of the enclave's damaged buildings.

At least six displaced Palestinian families were in living in the structure that collapsed early Wednesday despite knowing that it was teetering on the brink of collapse, according to Gaza's civil defense.

“The lack of options and alternatives left them with no other choice,” said Aboud Majdalawi, a rescuer with the force.

In the aftermath of the collapse, people were searching desperately for loved ones or their remains.

A group of men were seen carrying the headless body of a child. Others sat atop a pile of rubble, pulling desperately at flashes of color they believed could be clothing worn by a survivor. All they found were dust-caked blankets wedged in the debris.

Despite an October ceasefire that has reduced fighting in Gaza, Israel has continued to carry out strikes, killing at least 1,375 people since the agreement went into effect, according to local health officials.

The nearly three-year Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 73,789 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It doesn’t distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up around half of the toll.

AP reporter Toqa Ezzidin reported from Cairo. Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to the report.