Gaza, Sept 2026 : The death toll from the collapse of a six-storey residential building in western Gaza City has risen to 21, including 11 children and six women, according to local officials and residents. More than 25 people were injured in the incident.
The Al-Saada building, which had previously been damaged in Israeli bombardment, collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday near the headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
According to Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defence, the building was housing around 100 displaced Palestinians when it collapsed. Rescue teams conducted a 16-hour operation, during which 45 people were rescued and 21 bodies were recovered. Another 35 residents reportedly managed to escape the building on their own.
The collapse drew grieving relatives and residents to the site, with some attempting to search through the debris with their bare hands. Xinhua news agency reported that families gathered outside the building as rescue operations continued.
Louay al-Ajla, 54, said he lost nearly 10 members of his family in the collapse. “I received the news at dawn. It was devastating,” he said.
Palestinian authorities have blamed restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery and rescue equipment for making relief operations more difficult. The Hamas-run Gaza media office said more than 8,500 missing people remained buried under rubble across the Gaza Strip, attributing the situation to difficulties in bringing in heavy equipment and rescue machinery.
Basal warned that more than 2,000 residential buildings could be at risk of collapse as winter approaches. He urged the so-called “Board of Peace” and countries involved in guaranteeing the ceasefire to facilitate the entry of essential rescue equipment into Gaza.
The latest collapse comes amid continuing reports of ceasefire violations and a lack of progress in negotiations between Hamas and Israel, despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
