War-Damaged Al-Saada Building Collapses in Western Gaza City, Killing at Least 21

A six-storey residential building in western Gaza City — the Al-Saada building, previously cracked and structurally weakened by an earlier Israeli strike — collapsed overnight into September 16, 2026, killing at least 21 people, including 12 children and several women, according to Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Zaher al-Wahidi and Civil Defence. At least 14 more were injured and 16 rescued; the building had been sheltering close to 100 people from roughly 10 displaced families. Rescue crews dug through rubble largely by hand, lacking heavy equipment, with scores still reported missing. Gaza's Civil Defence estimates around 2,000 war-damaged buildings across the Strip remain at risk of collapse, with residents staying in unsafe structures amid a severe shortage of alternative housing.