War-damaged Gaza building collapses, killing at least 21 people including eight children

A six-storey building in Gaza City's Tal al-Hawa collapsed overnight, killing at least 21 people, including eight children, rescuers and medics said.

Rescue teams reported that 45 injured people were taken to hospitals. United Nations and Egyptian teams joined the search; initially, Civil Defence crews had to work by hand because of a lack of equipment.

Residents said the structure was left leaning after an Israeli strike more than a year earlier and that about 10 families were living there despite warnings it was unsafe. Witnesses described the collapse as sudden, with falling debris and heavy dust.

Alessandro Mrakic, head of the UNDP Gaza office, told reporters at the scene that the situation was tragic because of missing machinery and equipment. He warned that roughly 400 other war-damaged buildings across Gaza are at imminent risk of collapse, particularly ahead of winter.

UN humanitarian coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov said he was devastated by the collapse and urged Israeli authorities to approve deliveries of heavy machinery, tents, tarpaulins and other non-food items. Israeli officials say restrictions aim to prevent equipment reaching Palestinian armed groups that could use it militarily.

The UN says about 1.2 million people in Gaza currently live in tents or makeshift shelters and that about 80% of structures in the territory have been destroyed or damaged during the war, contributing to a severe humanitarian crisis.