At Least 21 Dead in Gaza After Building Collapse, Officials Say
The building was previously damaged by an Israeli strike, the local rescue service said. Its fall underscored the severe risks for many people living among Gaza’s ruins.
The Israeli military said in a statement it “did not strike the building,” but did not say whether any strikes on nearby targets could have caused the damage.
By Natan Odenheimer Adam Rasgon and Abu Bakr Bashir
Natan Odenheimer and Adam Rasgon reported from Tel Aviv.
A war-damaged building in Gaza collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people, including children, and trapping many more beneath the wreckage, according to local officials.
The incident shines a light on the perilous conditions in Gaza after the devastating war that followed the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Officials have warned that many more buildings damaged in Israeli strikes are at risk of collapse. The lack of progress on reconstruction has forced residents to choose between living in seriously compromised buildings or in tents.
Dozens of people were living in the Saada residential building in Gaza City when it caved in at around 2 a.m. local time, according to the Civil Defense rescue service, which is part of the Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza.
