Gaza authorities confirmed a six‑storey apartment building in Tal al‑Hawa, Gaza City, collapsed overnight, crushing four apartments on each level and crushing nearby homes and tents. The structure had sustained structural damage from earlier Israeli strikes in 2024 and March 2025, according to civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal, who said the building had been hit multiple times and warned residents against returning.
The collapse left 20 bodies recovered from the rubble, including five infants, and dozens more missing, Basal told AFP. Rescue teams, equipped with high‑visibility vests and basic tools, scoured the wreckage, while Egyptian‑flagged excavators worked around rows of tents housing displaced families. Basal added that the Israeli occupation prevents heavy machinery from entering Gaza, hampering the speed of the operation.
Mohannad Al‑Mashharawi, a neighbour who arrived to help retrieve clothes, described the scene: “My friend and neighbours live in this building. I came to help my friend retrieve some clothes and mattresses. He currently has no shelter or home.” His testimony underscores the human toll of the collapse.
UN humanitarian coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov called the tragedy “devastated,” highlighting the grave risks faced by families living in structurally compromised buildings. He urged international aid agencies to expedite safe shelter construction, noting that the Gaza civil defence agency has identified about 2,000 buildings at risk of collapse.
The Gaza government media office under Hamas blamed Israel and the international community for the catastrophe, while Israel has allowed additional aid into Gaza since the US‑brokered ceasefire in October 2025. However, it continues to restrict equipment that could be used for reconstruction, citing potential military use.