Gaza City building collapse kills at least 21, including 12 children

A six-storey residential building collapsed overnight in Gaza City, killing at least 21 people, including 12 children and five women, according to Gaza authorities cited by AFP and Al Jazeera. The building, in the Tal al-Hawa area, had been damaged by earlier Israeli strikes and was sheltering displaced families.

What happened

According to AFP, reported by France 24, the building crumbled overnight and fell onto nearby homes and tents. It had housed more than 100 displaced people. Al Jazeera identified it as the al-Saada building and reported that dozens of people were trapped under the rubble, with children heard crying for help beneath the debris.

The casualty figures were reported by Gaza's civil defence agency, interior ministry and health ministry, which operate under Hamas authority, France 24 noted. The figures could not be independently verified. Al Jazeera reported that, according to Gaza civil defence, around 100 people were still trapped under the rubble as rescue work continued. Outlets gave differing figures for the number of injured.

Why the building fell

AFP reported that the building had been damaged by multiple Israeli strikes in 2024 and March 2025. Al Jazeera said the earlier damage had weakened the structure and left it cracked before it collapsed.

Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal (spelled Bassal by AFP) said displaced residents had few alternatives. "They have no other choice. With neither tents nor homes available, they are living in cracked, damaged buildings despite the risk of collapse," he told AFP. He also told Al Jazeera: "Civil defence teams are still working to recover martyrs from under the rubble."

Ahmed Al-Ajla, a relative of some of the victims, told AFP: "These buildings are nothing but ticking time bombs."

Rescue efforts

Gaza City Mayor Yahya Al Sarraj said the municipality and civil defence were "paralysed" and that their tools were "inadequate," according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reported that Israeli restrictions on construction materials and heavy equipment have left rescue crews relying largely on manual labour.

The UN humanitarian coordinator, Ramiz Alakbarov, said he was "devastated" by the deaths, Al Jazeera reported.

According to France 24, a US-brokered ceasefire was declared in October 2025, but Israel has continued to carry out strikes while restricting the entry of equipment it considers to have potential military uses.

Why it matters

The collapse highlights the risks facing displaced people in Gaza who shelter in structurally damaged buildings because tents and intact homes are scarce. Local officials say limits on heavy equipment and building materials make both rescues and safe housing harder, nearly a year after the ceasefire was declared.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.