Gaza Building Collapse Kills 21 as Rescue Efforts End

Rescue teams in Gaza ended their search on Thursday after a bomb-damaged building collapsed in Gaza City, killing 21 people and rescuing 45 others from beneath the rubble, according to Palestinian officials.

The building had housed more than 110 people, many of them displaced families who had moved there because they had nowhere else to shelter. Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said eight children were among those killed, while about half of the wounded were also children.

Rescuers faced severe shortages of heavy machinery and equipment, forcing teams to work through the rubble with limited resources. Bulldozers later cleared debris from the site as preparations began to provide tents for survivors.

The collapse has highlighted the wider danger facing Palestinians living in damaged buildings across Gaza. Palestinian and UN officials have blamed restrictions on the entry of heavy equipment for slowing rubble removal and reconstruction, while Israel says restrictions are intended to prevent equipment from reaching militants.

Nearly a year after a US-brokered ceasefire, large-scale reconstruction has yet to begin, leaving many displaced Palestinians living in tents or damaged structures.