A war-damaged residential building collapsed overnight in Gaza City, killing at least 20 Palestinians including women and children, according to local civil defense officials. Rescue teams continued searching the rubble Wednesday morning for dozens more feared trapped.

The six-story structure, known as the Al-Saada building, had been hit by Israeli strikes earlier in the Israel-Hamas war, which left its structural integrity compromised. It housed displaced families who had returned despite safety warnings due to a lack of alternative shelter. The collapse occurred in the Tal al-Hawa or Al-Rimal neighborhood and also affected nearby tents.

Gaza's civil defense agency reported recovering at least 20 bodies, with five to eight children among the dead in varying accounts. Around 14 to 25 people were injured and taken to hospitals. Nearly 100 individuals remained unaccounted for beneath the debris, with rescuers working by hand and limited equipment.

The incident underscores the widespread destruction across Gaza, where the United Nations estimates that around 80 percent of structures have been damaged since the conflict began following the October 7, 2023, attacks. Hamas-run authorities and civil defense spokesmen attributed the collapse directly to prior Israeli targeting of the building.

Search operations involved coordination with groups like the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations Development Programme. Officials appealed for heavy machinery, which they said has been restricted from entering the territory.

The building collapse highlights the ongoing risks for civilians in war-torn areas where damaged structures continue to pose threats long after initial strikes.