Seven-storey apartment building collapses in Gaza after airstrike

A seven-storey apartment building collapsed overnight in Gaza on Wednesday following damage from previous Israeli airstrikes, prompting an urgent search and rescue operation. While initial reports indicated 12 fatalities, updated figures from Gaza’s civil defence service state that at least 20 people, including six children, were killed in the incident. Another 14 individuals sustained injuries, and nearly 100 people are estimated to remain trapped beneath the debris.

Raed Al-Dahshan, the director of Gaza City’s civil defence, noted that at least 10 families resided in the structure. Rescue teams, supported by U.N. agencies according to UNDP Gaza office head Alessandro Mrakic, continue to sift through the wreckage. Workers reported hearing voices from under the rubble, providing a glimmer of hope that further survivors might be recovered from the site.

This collapse highlights the precarious living conditions in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians reside in approximately 2,000 buildings already weakened by ongoing military operations. Rescue efforts remain ongoing as teams work to clear the site and search for those still missing.