Gaza rescuers on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) searched through the wreckage of a bombed-out apartment building that collapsed overnight, killing at least 20 Palestinians including children and trapping dozens of others beneath the rubble.
Rescue workers from Gaza’s civil defence said at least 20 people, including six children, were killed and 14 others injured when the seven-storey building collapsed. Nearly 100 more people were believed to be under the rubble.
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. Israel’s assault on Gaza — launched after Hamas’ deadly 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. More than 1,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory’s health officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed.
Development Programme’s Gaza office, said some U.N. agencies were taking part in the rescue efforts, which he described as difficult due to the lack of proper machinery. Because we don’t have the equipment and machinery that is needed, “The situation, as you see, is tragic. Alessandro Mrakic, head of the U.N. Egypt’s relief agency was also helping. Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire and undermining efforts to implement U.S. 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.
“We are still hearing voices from under the rubble,” he said. So there are actually people that are digging with their bare hands,” said Mrakic. No one should have to risk their life simply to find a safe place to shelter,” said Ramiz Alakbarov, U.N.
“Today’s tragedy underscores the grave risks faced by families living in these structures and the urgent need for safer alternatives.
