At least 21 Palestinians were killed early on Wednesday when the war-damaged al-Saada residential building collapsed in western Gaza City, burying residents beneath concrete and rubble. Families gathered at al-Shifa Hospital as rescue teams continued searching for people still missing.
Hayat al-Ajlah, 37, said she and her four children were pulled from the wreckage, but her eight-year-old daughter, Dalia, suffered a serious head injury. Hayat said nine members of her extended family, including her parents, four siblings and three nieces and nephews, were killed.
Families had returned to damaged homes
Hayat’s family had previously been displaced from Gaza City’s Shujayea neighbourhood to Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. They returned to Gaza City about two months before the collapse and moved into an empty third-floor apartment that Hayat said was severely damaged. Read the context: Children rescued after residential building collapses in Gaza City.
The family chose the apartment to leave a tent and its harsh conditions. Hayat said relatives had been preparing for a wedding planned for the following week, which meant many members of her extended family were inside the building when it fell.
What we know now
- The building had been visibly damaged, with residents reporting that pieces of walls and stones had fallen before the collapse.
- Families had moved into damaged apartments after leaving tents and other displacement conditions.
- Palestinian Civil Defence teams relied on limited, basic tools during the recovery operation.
- Many relatives waited at al-Shifa Hospital for news of missing family members.
Rescue teams faced a shortage of equipment
Palestinian Civil Defence said its teams worked for hours to reach people trapped beneath the structure, but the lack of heavy machinery and other essential equipment slowed efforts to clear the concrete and rubble. Related coverage: Mass funeral held in Gaza City for 50 Palestinians recovered from rubble.
Residents said the building had shown warning signs. Mansour Bakroun, who lived nearby, said parts of its walls and stones had fallen regularly. Another neighbour, Huzaifa Mohammed, said people had continued living near damaged structures while having few alternatives.
Relatives waited at al-Shifa Hospital
At al-Shifa Hospital, relatives gathered while the recovery operation continued. Umm Mahmoud Saada said her son Mahmoud, 38, his wife and their seven children were among those who did not survive.
She said Mahmoud had returned to Gaza City about a month earlier after living displaced in southern Gaza, where he had been staying in a tent. A relative had shown him the apartment, which he intended to occupy temporarily.
What happens next
Rescue and recovery teams were expected to continue searching the collapsed building, while relatives waited at al-Shifa Hospital for news of those still missing.
No comments yet. Start the discussion.