The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed that 21 residents died when a multistory building in the Deir al-Balah district of Gaza City gave way on Wednesday, adding to the mounting civilian toll of the protracted conflict.

Survivors described the building as a last‑resort shelter. Um Mohammad Adas, whose relatives were among the dead, said her family members now sleep on the street with borrowed clothing, while Ahmad Arafat told reporters that they cannot afford to move elsewhere or buy tents. Alam Zakout echoed the sentiment, noting that the only option left for many is to stay in unsafe, damaged structures.

The collapse is part of a broader pattern of unsafe dwellings. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported five shelter collapses in the first week of September, and the Palestinian Ministry of Public Works said more than 2,000 additional buildings are at risk of failure.

Reconstruction efforts remain stalled. Israel has said it will not permit rebuilding in Gaza until Hamas disarms, leaving over a million people in precarious displacement sites, according to a joint World Bank‑United Nations damage assessment released in April. The assessment found that 76% of residential units have been damaged or destroyed, describing the loss of housing as “catastrophic.”

Humanitarian agencies have warned of a looming shelter crisis. The Norwegian Refugee Council said 72% of the population are staying in damaged buildings, with 22% of sampled structures deemed imminently unsafe. Rain and flooding exacerbate the risk, as water infiltrates cracked concrete and exposed rebar, further weakening already compromised walls.

Aid groups are pressing Israel to allow entry of timber, emergency shelter kits, excavators and other equipment needed to clear debris and reinforce structures. Israel has twice rejected such shipments in late August and early September, citing security concerns over “dual‑use” materials. The Israeli coordinating body COGAT declined to comment on the recent denials.

The tragedy occurs against the backdrop of a war that began with Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. A ceasefire in October 2025 reduced fighting intensity, but Israeli strikes have continued, killing at least 1,375 Palestinians since the agreement, according to local health officials. The Gaza Health Ministry, part of the Hamas‑run administration, reports a total death toll of more than 73,821 Palestinians, with women and children comprising roughly half of the casualties.