Overview
- The six-storey apartment block in the Tal al-Hawa district collapsed overnight on Wednesday, killing 21 people and sparking a multi-hour rescue operation that recovered 45 survivors.
- Local officials and witnesses said the building had been struck in earlier Israeli attacks and was sheltering roughly 100 displaced people when it fell.
- Rescuers dug by hand for hours because of a shortage of heavy machinery and specialist tools, and UN and Gaza civil defence spokespeople have called urgently for approvals to deliver excavators and equipment.
- Egyptian teams and some UN agencies provided excavators to help clear rubble and move survivors to temporary tents while authorities prepare short-term rehousing for those who lost homes.
- The collapse highlights stalled reconstruction since the October 2025 ceasefire, with Gaza authorities warning about roughly 2,000 at-risk damaged buildings and the added danger posed by the coming winter rains.