The building collapsed in a Tel Aviv construction zone on Monday, injuring at least 18 people and trapping three people inside, according to police and media reports.
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Dozens of firefighters, rescue and security services were dispatched to the site to help the injured and search for those feared missing.
“The forces are operating to extract five additional trapped civilians”, it said, adding that more than 300 soldiers from the search-and-rescue battalion were taking part in the operation.
More than 20 people were injured after the almost finished underground parking lot crumbled Monday in Ramat Hahayil, a business district where several hi-tech firms have opened their offices in the last few years.
“It was only construction workers”. 24 people were injured in the tragedy.
The new line also promises to be a boom for foreign diplomats, Israeli government employees and parliament members, many of whom live on the coast but commute to Jerusalem nearly daily and often lament the traffic jams.
Spokeswoman Luba Samri said that rescue services were attempting to recover the bodies of the two construction workers.
Some 58,000 Palestinians hold permits to work in Israel, and thousands more cross illegally for jobs. The neighborhood is home to many high-tech businesses, restaurants and a hospital.
The cause of the collapse was not immediately known, and several hours after the structure came down in a plume of dust, police said about four people were still missing and believed trapped under the debris.
Israel has a high number of construction accidents, compared to other developed countries.
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The economy ministry said in response that it would focus on enforcing construction industry regulations.
