At least 20 killed as war-damaged Gaza City building collapses amid rescue efforts

At least 20 people have been killed, including five children, after a war-damaged building collapsed in the Tal al-Hawa area of Gaza City, according to local rescue teams. Dozens of people remain missing, and search efforts are continuing in the rubble of the multi-storey structure. Video footage from the scene showed the building's floors crushed together as rescuers worked through the debris.

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Locals said 10 families had been living in the apartments despite warnings that the building was unsafe. Members of the Hamas-run Civil Defence said they had initially been working with "empty hands" because of tight restrictions on the equipment allowed into Gaza. They later said they had been able to borrow some heavy machinery, which has helped the search for bodies and survivors.

The collapse came as Israeli air strikes continued elsewhere in Gaza. On Tuesday, at least five Palestinians were killed in separate strikes, including two children and a Hamas commander, according to health officials and Hamas sources. The Israeli military said it killed a Hamas commander in southern Gaza and another fighter in the north, and said a child was also killed in both cases.

The same report also said a patient was killed by an Israeli drone at a health centre in Jabalia in northern Gaza, according to the British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. The incident highlights the continuing danger posed by war-damaged buildings in Gaza, where many structures have been weakened by months of conflict and families have remained in homes despite safety warnings. It also underlines the strain on rescue teams, who say shortages of equipment can slow searches and make it harder to reach people trapped under rubble.

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The presence of children among the dead and missing is likely to intensify concern over civilian protection and the wider humanitarian toll. The collapse in Gaza City comes against the backdrop of ongoing fighting and repeated damage to civilian infrastructure across the territory. Rescue workers have been trying to recover bodies and survivors while also dealing with limited access to heavy machinery.

The situation has drawn attention to the risks faced by people living in damaged buildings and by emergency crews operating in an active war zone. It remains unclear how many people may still be trapped in the collapsed building, and rescue teams have not given a final figure for the missing. It is also not clear how much more heavy machinery can be brought in to speed up the search.

Further updates are likely to focus on the rescue operation, the condition of those still missing, and whether there are more casualties from the separate strikes reported across Gaza.

At least 12 people have been killed, including children, after a war-damaged building collapsed in the Tal al-Hawa area of Gaza City, according to local rescue teams. Dozens of people are still missing, and search efforts are continuing in the rubble of the multi-storey structure. Video footage from the scene showed the building's floors crushed together as rescuers worked through the debris.

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Locals said 10 families had been living in the apartments despite warnings that the building was unsafe. Members of the Hamas-run Civil Defence said they had initially been working with "empty hands" because of tight restrictions on the equipment allowed into Gaza. They later said they had been able to borrow some heavy machinery, which has helped the search for bodies and survivors.

The collapse came as Israeli air strikes continued elsewhere in Gaza. On Tuesday, at least five Palestinians were killed in separate strikes, including two children and a Hamas commander, according to health officials and Hamas sources. The Israeli military said it killed a Hamas commander in southern Gaza and another fighter in the north, and said a child was also killed in both cases.

The same report also said a patient was killed by an Israeli drone at a health centre in Jabalia in northern Gaza, according to the British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. The incidents underline the continuing toll of the war on civilians, emergency workers and medical facilities. They also show how damaged buildings remain dangerous long after direct fighting has passed through an area.

The collapse in Gaza City highlights the wider humanitarian strain in the territory, where many buildings have been damaged during the conflict and families have remained in unsafe homes. Rescue teams have repeatedly faced shortages of equipment, which can slow searches and make it harder to reach people trapped under rubble. The presence of children among the dead and missing is likely to intensify concern over civilian protection.

It remains unclear how many people may still be trapped in the collapsed building, and rescue teams have not given a final figure for the missing. It is also not clear how much more heavy machinery can be brought in to speed up the search. Further updates are likely to focus on the rescue operation, the condition of those still missing, and whether there are more casualties from the separate strikes reported across Gaza.

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