Bombed-out Gaza apartment block collapse leaves 20 dead, many missing

Gaza authorities said on Wednesday that at least 20 people, including five children, had died and dozens more were missing after an apartment building collapsed from damage sustained in earlier Israeli strikes. The six-storey building, which had four apartments per floor, crumbled overnight onto nearby homes and tents in the Tal al-Hawa area of Gaza City, according to the civil defence agency. The incident highlights the ongoing danger for tens of thousands of Palestinians who live in an estimated 2,000 damaged buildings due to Israeli airstrikes across Gaza. “My friend and neighbours live in this building. I came to help my friend retrieve some clothes and mattresses. He currently has no shelter or home,” Mohannad Al-Mashharawi told AFP. Civil defence agency spokesman Mahmoud Basal told AFP the building had sustained structural damage from previous Israeli strikes. The bodies of “20 martyrs have been recovered from the rubble”, he said. “Among the dead are five infants, while dozens of people remain trapped beneath the debris,” he added. He said rescue operations were ongoing but relied on “limited equipment and basic tools, as the Israeli occupation prevents the entry of necessary heavy machinery and equipment into the Gaza Strip”. The building was hit multiple times in 2024 and March 2025, leading to warnings for Gazans not to go back, Basal said. Nearly 100 more people were believed to be trapped under the rubble, the civil defence agency said. A video obtained by Reuters showed rescue workers trying to pull out two people from under a collapsed wall. Another video circulated on social media showed Basal, carrying a little girl, wrapped in a blood-stained scarf, in his hands. Raed Al-Dahshan, the director of Gaza City’s civil defence service, said at least 10 families lived in the collapsed building and there was still hope of finding survivors. “We are still hearing voices from under the rubble, so there is still hope to find people,” said Dahshan. Civil Defence workers attempt to rescue people trapped beneath the rubble of a residential building that had been damaged in an earlier Israeli strike and collapsed on Wednesday, in Gaza City, September 16. — Reuters Alessandro Mrakic, head of the UN Development Programme’s Gaza office, said rescuers from some UN agencies were taking part in the rescue efforts, which he described as difficult due to the lack of proper machinery. Egypt’s relief agency was also taking part in rescue efforts. “The situation, as you see, is tragic because we don’t have the equipment and machinery that is needed. So there are actually people that are digging with their bare hands. We need to prepare (for more deaths),” said Mrakic. “There are approximately 400 buildings at risk of collapse. And we know that these buildings will collapse, especially now with the upcoming winter,” he added. Palestinian and UN officials blame Israel’s restrictions on Gaza for the lack of heavy machinery in the territory. Israel’s latest assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas’ raid into Israel in October 2023, has generated around 61 million tons of wreckage and debris that could take seven years to clear, according to the United Nations. Dahshan warned residents to stay away from damaged buildings because of the risk of collapse. The local rescue service says about 2,000 damaged buildings are inhabited by families. “The limited availability of shelter options forced residents to move into this building, believing it was safe. However, at one point it collapsed entirely, tragically crashing down on people as they slept,” said Dahshan. Many families have told Reuters in the past months that they resorted to living in partially damaged buildings to protect themselves against wind and rainstorms, and because of the lack of new tents for the homeless. In October 2025, a US-backed ceasefire halted large-scale fighting in Gaza, but it has not ended Israeli strikes, and there has been little progress on steps towards permanent peace. Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire and undermining efforts to implement US President Donald Trump’s broader plan to end the Gaza conflict, which includes an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the disarmament of Hamas. Israel claims Hamas has been violating the deal. More than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to health officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed.