At least 20 people, including several children, were killed when a six-storey, war-damaged residential building in Gaza City collapsed early Wednesday, local authorities said. Rescue teams continued search-and-rescue operations at the Al-Sa'ada building in the Al-Rimal neighborhood, where Gaza's Civil Defense agency reports roughly 100 people remain unaccounted for.
The six-storey block, which had four apartments on each floor, was struck by Israeli airstrikes at the outset of the war following the October 7, 2023 attacks, the Civil Defense agency said. Officials say the building had remained structurally compromised since then.
Rescue Efforts, Accusations and Warnings
Hamas's media office in Gaza said the collapse buried "dozens of displaced families who had been forcibly driven to seek shelter there, amid the complete absence of alternative and safe places of refuge." The statement also accused Israel of limiting the entry of heavy machinery and rescue supplies, arguing those restrictions have obstructed emergency response.
Rescue workers remove the bodies of victims from the rubble of a collapsed building in Gaza City on Wednesday. - Saeed M. M. T. Jaras/Anadolu/Getty Images
Israel restricts the flow of certain "dual-use" goods into Gaza, including some heavy equipment, citing concerns that such items could be converted for military use. Israeli authorities say they maintain security screenings and controls on items entering the territory.
"Since midnight in Gaza City a tragic, painful scene has unfolded: a brutal humanitarian event... where dozens of innocent people were trapped," Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal said. He added that people in the building woke up to "screams and the crying of children" after the collapse and warned that more damaged buildings housing displaced people remain at risk.
Humanitarian Context
The United Nations reports that around 80% of structures in Gaza have been damaged since the start of the conflict and that roughly two-thirds of those damaged buildings are now destroyed. The UN estimates that about 1.9 million Palestinians — nearly 90% of Gaza's population — have been displaced during the war, with many families forced to move multiple times. The coming winter has intensified concerns about shelter and basic needs.
No major reconstruction has been carried out since the fragile ceasefire agreement last year, and UN agencies have warned that the proportion of damaged buildings continued to rise in the months after the ceasefire. Separately, officials say a U.S.-supported board set up to help implement parts of the ceasefire has made limited progress following criticism from Israeli sources.
This remains a developing story. Authorities and aid agencies continue search-and-rescue operations and are assessing immediate humanitarian needs at the site and across affected areas.
