At least 21 people, including 11 children, were killed early Wednesday when a six-storey apartment building in Gaza City collapsed, according to the civil defence agency. Dozens more are missing, and rescue workers, using bare hands and a few excavators, are searching through the rubble for survivors.
The building, located in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood, had four apartments per floor and was known to be unstable due to damage from Israeli strikes earlier in the war. It crumbled onto nearby homes and tents housing displaced families, trapping many as they slept.
Mohannad Al-Mashharawi, who came to help a friend retrieve belongings, said: "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."
Aboud Majdalawi, a rescuer with Gaza's civil defence, highlighted the lack of alternatives: "The lack of options and alternatives left them with no other choice."
Perilous living conditions persist
The collapse underscores the perilous conditions for Gaza's roughly 2 million residents, who are confined to less than half of the territory. They remain dependent on aid and face near-daily Israeli strikes, despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October.
Since the ceasefire began, Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,375 people, according to local health officials. The nearly three-year war has claimed more than 73,789 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government. The ministry's figures are considered generally reliable by UN agencies, though they do not distinguish between civilians and militants.
Rescuers are also trying to unearth hundreds of bodies from buildings collapsed by earlier strikes, but they have only a few working excavators and dwindling fuel supplies. On Wednesday, the UN human rights chief expressed concern that the bodies recovered so far are just the "tip of the iceberg."
The collapse comes as international efforts to solidify the ceasefire have stalled, leaving residents in a state of uncertainty. Similar incidents have been reported elsewhere, such as a recent building collapse in Gaza City that killed at least 12 people.
While the focus remains on the immediate humanitarian crisis, the broader regional instability continues to affect neighbouring countries. For instance, NATO jets downed a drone over Lithuania amid heightened eastern border tensions, and a Russian drone strike killed five civilians in southern Ukraine, highlighting the volatile security environment across Europe's periphery.
As rescue operations continue, families in Tal al-Hawa wait in anguish, hoping for news of loved ones. The international community, including European nations, has called for a durable ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access, but so far, the political will to achieve these goals remains elusive.
