World
War-Damaged Building Collapse in Gaza City Kills Nine, Traps Dozens
At least nine Palestinians died and 14 more were injured Wednesday when a six-story residential building, previously damaged during Israel's war on Gaza, collapsed in southwestern Gaza City, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Citing rescue teams on the ground, WAFA said dozens of people remain buried under the debris. The structure collapsed onto both its residents and nearby tents sheltering displaced Palestinians. Emergency crews began search and rescue operations early Wednesday but are hampered by a lack of equipment and heavy machinery, according to WAFA. Local residents said the building had housed more than 60 people, mostly displaced Palestinians, despite having sustained structural damage and cracks from earlier Israeli bombardment. This incident adds to the mounting death toll linked to Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Gaza's Health Ministry reports that 1,375 Palestinians have been killed and 4,686 injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began in October 2025. Since the war started on October 7, 2023, the overall Palestinian death toll has reached nearly 74,000, with more than 174,000 people injured, according to the ministry's figures.