By Robek Irfan — SCN News
GAZA CITY — At least 21 Palestinians, including children and women, were killed when a war-damaged residential building sheltering displaced families collapsed in Gaza City early Wednesday, rescuers and health officials said, highlighting the continuing danger faced by thousands living in structures weakened during the war.
The seven-storey building in western Gaza City had previously been damaged by Israeli strikes and was being used as shelter by displaced families when it collapsed overnight. Rescue teams continued searching through the wreckage as the reported death toll rose through Wednesday morning.
Casualty figures changed rapidly as bodies were recovered. Earlier accounts from Gaza health officials reported eight children among the dead, while a later Associated Press report put the toll at 21 and said 11 children and five women had been killed. Reuters separately reported a lower child toll at an earlier stage of the rescue operation. SCN is therefore treating the headline figure of 21 deaths as the latest confirmed total while noting that the breakdown may continue to change.
Raed Al-Dahshan, director of Gaza City's civil defence service, said at least 10 families had been living in the building. Rescue workers initially estimated that dozens of people could still be trapped beneath the debris and said there remained hope of finding survivors.
The operation was complicated by a shortage of specialised rescue equipment. Video from the scene showed emergency workers searching through concrete and twisted debris, while rescuers at points used their hands to reach people trapped beneath collapsed sections of the structure. UN personnel and Egypt's relief agency were also assisting the operation, according to reporting from the scene.
The disaster exposes a wider danger facing Gaza's displaced population. Civil defence officials estimate that tens of thousands of Palestinians are living in roughly 2,000 buildings damaged by Israeli air strikes because safer housing remains scarce. Families have moved into partially destroyed structures despite knowing they may be unstable, particularly when tents or other accommodation are unavailable.
Al-Dahshan said the limited availability of shelter had forced people into the building despite its condition. Gaza's civil defence has warned residents against occupying damaged structures, but for many displaced families the choice is between compromised buildings and makeshift shelters exposed to weather and other hazards.
The danger could increase as winter approaches. Alessandro Mrakic, head of the UN Development Programme's Gaza office, said about 400 buildings were considered at risk of collapse and warned that deteriorating structures could produce further casualties. He said the lack of appropriate machinery was making Wednesday's rescue operation more difficult.
The broader scale of destruction makes stabilising or clearing damaged buildings a major reconstruction challenge. The United Nations estimates that the conflict has generated tens of millions of tonnes of debris across Gaza, while large numbers of homes and other structures have been damaged or destroyed.
Reconstruction has also become entangled in the unresolved political and security arrangements surrounding Gaza. AP reported that large-scale reconstruction has not begun since the ceasefire and that Israel says rebuilding will not be permitted until Hamas disarms. Israeli authorities say heavy machinery can enter Gaza, while Palestinian and UN officials have repeatedly cited restrictions and shortages of equipment as obstacles to clearing debris and making damaged areas safe.
Wednesday's collapse was not reported as a new Israeli strike. The building had sustained damage earlier in the war and subsequently collapsed while civilians were sheltering inside, an important distinction as rescue officials investigate the immediate circumstances.
The episode nevertheless illustrates a less visible legacy of the conflict: buildings that remain standing can continue posing lethal risks long after the attack that damaged them. Structural cracks, weakened foundations and partially collapsed floors can leave homes unsafe even when they appear capable of providing temporary shelter.
For displaced families, that danger is compounded by the shortage of alternatives. Gaza civil defence officials say people have repeatedly returned to damaged apartment blocks because they offer greater protection from rain, wind and cold than tents, even when residents know the structures could collapse.
Rescue crews remained at the Gaza City site on Wednesday as casualty figures continued to be updated, making the final toll uncertain. The immediate priority was reaching anyone still alive beneath the wreckage while authorities warned that hundreds of other damaged buildings could present similar risks.