The death toll from the collapse of a residential building sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City has risen to 20, including five children, rescue teams said on Wednesday, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Another 25 people were injured and more than 100 people remain missing under the rubble as search operations continue.
Rescue teams said the efforts face major challenges due to severe shortages of heavy equipment and specialized rescue machinery in the Gaza Strip.
At least 20 people, mostly women and children, have been killed after a six-story residential building collapsed in Gaza City.
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) September 16, 2026
Extensive efforts are underway to rescue dozens of civilians missing under the rubble of the building, which had previously been damaged by Israeli… pic.twitter.com/gqHSgfKUEp
More than 2,000 damaged buildings across Gaza are at risk of collapse and are still housing large numbers of displaced Palestinians, posing further risks to their lives, they added.
Building collapses in damaged structures across the enclave have killed 50 people in total, according to figures cited in the report.
“We could see more disasters like this one in other homes and other areas across the Gaza Strip.”
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) September 16, 2026
Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal warned that around 2,000 buildings across the Strip are at risk of collapsing at any moment, as rescuers continue searching for… pic.twitter.com/MzwwxOUcPr
Israeli war on Gaza, which began on October 8, 2023, has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured more than 174,000, most of them women and children.
The destruction has affected about 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure, while the UN estimates reconstruction costs at around $70 billion.
Despite a ceasefire agreement announced in October 2025, Israeli occupation forces have continued attacks on Gaza, killing 1,372 Palestinians and injuring 4,659, most of them women and children.
The war has destroyed more than 102,000 buildings across Gaza, while at least 330,000 housing units have been completely or partially destroyed, accounting for more than 70% of the enclave’s housing stock.
The destruction has also affected schools, universities, hospitals, mosques, churches, government facilities and thousands of economic establishments, as well as roads, water and electricity networks, sewage systems and agricultural land, further worsening living conditions across the Gaza Strip.
Source: Agencies