A war-damaged seven-story apartment building in Gaza City collapsed on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, killing at least 16 people. Palestinian Civil Defence officials reported that the fatalities included five children, while the Gaza Health Ministry stated that 12 of the dead were women and children. Rescue workers, including teams from United Nations agencies and Egypt's relief agency, are searching for approximately 100 people believed to be trapped beneath the wreckage.
The building had been partially destroyed by an Israeli strike earlier in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Raed Al-Dahshan, director of Gaza City’s civil defence service, said at least 10 families were living in the structure at the time of the collapse. Residents had moved into the damaged building to seek shelter from weather and due to a shortage of tents. While the specific cause of this collapse was not immediately clear, officials noted that dozens of bombed-out structures have collapsed throughout the war, particularly during winter weather.
Rescue efforts are being conducted with limited equipment, as workers have used bulldozers and their bare hands to clear debris. Alessandro Mrakic, head of the U.N. Development Programme’s Gaza office, stated that approximately 400 additional buildings are at risk of collapse. Palestinian and U.N. officials attributed the lack of heavy machinery to Israeli restrictions on imports; Israel maintains these curbs are necessary to prevent equipment from being used by militant groups.
For the individual resident, this situation means a lack of basic physical safety even within a designated shelter. Families who have fled tent camps due to wind and rain are now residing in structures that may collapse without warning while they sleep. The scale of the destruction—with more than 73,264 Palestinians killed since 2023—has left the territory with a severe housing deficit, forcing households to choose between exposure to the elements in tents or the structural risks of bombed-out apartments. The lack of heavy machinery means that if a collapse occurs, the chances of a timely rescue are diminished, as specialized equipment for lifting concrete is largely unavailable.
The incident highlights the fragility of the U.S.-backed ceasefire initiated in October 2025. While large-scale fighting has subsided, more than 1,300 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers have been killed since the deal took effect. Hamas and Israel continue to trade accusations of ceasefire violations, and U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner recently noted that political tensions surrounding the late October Israeli elections have slowed progress on Gaza's rehabilitation. The immediate focus remains on the rescue operation in Gaza City, with the death toll expected to rise as more bodies are recovered from the Al-Sinaa area.