Six killed, 71 injured in Gaza over past day, Health Ministry says

Six Palestinians died and 71 others were injured in Gaza over the past day from Israeli fire, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said Wednesday.

The ministry’s figures came as rescuers continued to search the rubble of a war-damaged building in Gaza City that collapsed overnight, killing 16 people and injuring more than 25, Gaza health officials and Palestinian civil defence said.

The building was damaged in the Israel-Hamas war and had been home to several displaced families. Zaher al-Wahidi, a spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry, said at least 12 of those killed were women and children.

After the collapse, rescuers continued to search the rubble for more victims, and the death toll was likely to rise as recovery efforts continued.

The building was one of thousands of structures damaged in Gaza during the conflict. Palestinian civil defence officials warned many damaged structures remained dangerous for residents and displaced people.

The latest casualties came despite a ceasefire that has curbed large-scale fighting but has not stopped Israeli military operations in Gaza, local health officials and international media say.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its casualty statistics.