At least 20 dead as Gaza building collapses, dozens still trapped

At least 20 people, including several children, have died after a war-damaged residential building collapsed early Wednesday in Gaza City, according to CNN. Rescue operations are ongoing at the site of the collapsed Al-Sa’ada building in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood, where around 100 people remain missing, Gaza’s Civil Defense agency said.

The six-storey building, struck by Israeli airstrikes early in the war following the October 7, 2023 attacks, had been sheltering displaced families. Hamas’ media office said the structure collapsed on “dozens of displaced families” with nowhere else to seek refuge. Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal warned of further collapses among Gaza’s thousands of structurally damaged buildings.