21 Death in War-Damaged Residential Building Collapses in Gaza City

GAZA, Sept 17 — 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, with more than 25 others injured, local officials and residents reported on Wednesday.

The Al-Saada building—which was previously damaged by 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). The structure was housing approximately 100 displaced people at the time of the incident.

Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal reported that emergency crews rescued 45 survivors and recovered 21 bodies following a 16-hour search-and-rescue operation, while 35 other residents managed to escape. Relatives gathered outside the rubble, with some forced to dig using their bare hands due to a lack of heavy machinery.

“I received the news at dawn. It was devastating,” said 54-year-old Louay al-Ajla, who lost nearly 10 family members in the collapse.

Palestinian authorities blamed restrictions on heavy machinery and emergency equipment for impeding rescue efforts. The Hamas-run media office in Gaza stated that over 8,500 missing individuals remain trapped under rubble across the Gaza Strip, describing thousands of damaged structures as “ticking time bombs.”

Basal warned that more than 2,000 damaged residential buildings remain at risk of imminent collapse as winter approaches. He called on ceasefire-guaranteeing nations and international bodies to facilitate the immediate entry of rescue machinery, noting that the collapse occurred amid ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement established in October 2025.

-NMT