The death toll from the collapse of a structurally damaged residential building west of Gaza City early Wednesday rose to 20, including five children. Rescue teams recovered 16 injured people and continued searching for dozens missing under the rubble, according to Gaza Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal. Bassal said the Al-Saada building collapsed at around 2 a.m.
Accounts of the number of occupants and the building’s damage
Citing accounts from relatives of those missing, he added that more than 100 people, including about 50 children, were inside the building, noting that rescue and search operations were continuing. Bassal said the building had developed cracks after being hit several times by Israeli airstrikes during 2024 and in March last year, causing, he said, extensive damage to all its floors and residential apartments.
He said Civil Defence had previously warned residents that the building was at risk of collapse, but they remained there because no tents or alternative shelter were available. Dozens of volunteers joined Civil Defence crews and Gaza Municipality staff in searching for the missing, amid a shortage of equipment and tools that Bassal said was delaying rescue operations.
The Israeli army continues its air and artillery bombardment and the demolition of homes in the Gaza Strip despite the ceasefire agreement that took effect last October, while Israeli forces control more than 60% of the Gaza Strip’s 365-square-kilometre area.
