A war-damaged building in Gaza collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people, including children, and trapping many more under the rubble, according to local officials. The incident sheds light on the dangerous conditions in Gaza after the devastating war that followed the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Officials have warned that many more damaged buildings are at risk of collapsing. The lack of progress in rebuilding has forced residents to choose between living in severely compromised buildings or in tents. Dozens of people were living in the Saada residential building in Gaza City when it collapsed around 2 a.m. local time, according to the Civil Defense rescue service, which is part of the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza. The officials added that the building had previously been hit by an Israeli strike, although it was not clear when. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. Search and rescue teams pulled survivors from the rubble Wednesday morning as they searched for missing residents. “We can see people still trapped under the rubble,” said Raed al-Dahshan, director of Civil Defense in the Gaza City area. “We are doing everything we can to extract them.” al-Dahshan said Gaza authorities had warned residents that the building was unstable, but many did not leave because they did not want to be displaced and potentially end up in worse conditions. He added that there were approximately 70 buildings in the Gaza City area at risk of collapsing. Humanitarian groups warned there could be more such deaths in the coming months. “With the heavy rains and winds of winter approaching, the risk of damaged buildings collapsing will only increase, putting more lives at risk,” Pat Griffiths, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said by phone from Gaza. “Choosing between living in a tent, with little privacy or space and exposed to the elements, or a damaged building at risk of collapsing, just to have a roof over their head, is not a choice any family should have to make.” The collapse underscores the devastation in Gaza after years of war, which has left entire neighborhoods in ruins. Much of Gaza’s population was displaced by the conflict, and many now live in damaged buildings. After a US-brokered ceasefire deal was reached in October 2025, Palestinians hoped Israel would allow a significant amount of heavy machinery and construction materials into Gaza to begin the long process of removing rubble and rebuilding the territory. According to local officials, thousands of bodies from the war still lie under rubble across Gaza. On Tuesday, the United Nations human rights chief called for international investigators to be allowed into the enclave to recover the remains of Palestinians beneath damaged buildings. Efforts by President Trump’s Peace Board and regional mediators to advance the ceasefire and pave the way for reconstruction have stalled. Israel has continued to attack the territory, despite international pressure to stop its attacks there. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Egyptian-backed rescue teams assisted local emergency teams on Wednesday in their search for survivors of the building collapse. In a statement, Ramiz Alakbarov, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, urged international authorities to allow heavy equipment into Gaza to assist in search and rescue operations, along with humanitarian aid. with safer places to live,” he said. “Every minute counts.”
