Deaths and Dozens Trapped After Building Collapse in Gaza Hit by Bombing During the War

- Local authorities in the Gaza Strip announced on Wednesday that at least 20 people, including children, were killed after a residential building collapsed in Gaza City, having been damaged during the war, amid fears that dozens more may be trapped under the rubble. Search and rescue operations are currently underway at the site of the collapsed "Al-Saada" building in the Rimal neighborhood, where estimates from the civil defense in Gaza indicate that around 100 people are missing.

The civil defense reported that the six-story building, which contained four apartments on each floor, had been subjected to Israeli airstrikes at the beginning of the war on Gaza, following the attacks on October 7, 2023. According to the United Nations, about 80% of buildings in Gaza have been damaged since the conflict began, with two-thirds of them destroyed, leaving Palestinians suffering in search of safe shelter amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and the threat of unexploded ordnance.

The United Nations indicates a high demand for shelter, especially with the winter season approaching, as approximately 1.9 million Palestinians in Gaza - about 90% of the population - have been displaced during the war, many of whom have been displaced multiple times. The media office of Hamas in Gaza stated that the building collapsed on "dozens of displaced families who were forced to seek refuge in it, in the complete absence of alternative and safe shelter."

The office added that thousands of structurally damaged buildings across the Gaza Strip, many of which house displaced individuals, are at risk of collapse. Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the civil defense, stated on Wednesday: "Since midnight, a tragic and painful scene has emerged in Gaza City; it is a brutal humanitarian event, as you can see before you under this residential building, where dozens of innocents are trapped."

He added: "People woke up at three in the morning to the screams and cries of the children who were inside after the building completely collapsed on them. We warn of the possibility of more collapses similar to this incident in the Gaza Strip, specifically in the areas where citizens are currently seeking refuge."

Gaza has not witnessed any tangible reconstruction efforts since the fragile ceasefire agreement was reached in October of last year between Hamas and Israel. The United Nations reported in late August that the percentage of damaged buildings in the area continued to rise since the ceasefire came into effect.

Meanwhile, making tangible progress remains difficult for the Peace Council, which was established to advance the U.S.-mediated ceasefire agreement, following recent criticisms directed at Israel.