At Least 16 Dead in Gaza After Building Collapse, Officials Say

Supported by

At Least 16 Dead in Gaza After Building Collapse, Officials Say

The building was previously damaged by an Israeli strike, the local rescue service said. Its fall underscored the precarious conditions of those living among the enclave’s ruins.

A war-damaged building in Gaza collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 16 people and trapping many more beneath the wreckage, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense rescue service.

Dozens were living in the complex, the Saada residential building in Gaza City, when it caved in at around 2 a.m. local time, officials from the service said. Civil Defense is a part of the Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza.

The officials added that the building had previously been hit by an Israeli strike, though it was unclear when. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Search-and-rescue teams pulled survivors from the wreckage on Wednesday morning as they searched for missing residents.

“We can see people still trapped under the rubble,” said Raed al-Dahshan, director of Civil Defense in the Gaza City area, who is involved in the rescue efforts. “We’re doing everything we can to extract them.”

He said that the authorities in Gaza had warned residents that the building was unstable, but that many did not leave because they did not want to be displaced and potentially end up in worse conditions. Mr. al-Dahshan said that there were roughly 70 buildings in the Gaza City area at risk of collapse.

The deadly collapse underscores the devastation across Gaza, where years of punishing conflict between Israel and Hamas have left entire neighborhoods in ruins. Much of Gaza’s population was displaced by the conflict, and many are now living in damaged buildings.

After a U.S.-brokered cease-fire was agreed in October 2025, Palestinians had hoped that Israel would allow a significant amount of heavy machinery and construction materials into Gaza to begin the long process of removing rubble and rebuilding. Thousands of bodies remain missing beneath the rubble across Gaza from years of war, according to local officials.

Efforts by President Trump’s Board of Peace and regional mediators to advance the cease-fire and pave the way for reconstruction have stalled. Israel has continued to strike the territory, despite international pressure to halt its attacks there.

On Tuesday, an Israeli strike killed a Civil Defense worker and a teenager, according to an official in the rescue service. The Israeli military said it had been targeting Hamas militants, and that the attack was under review.

The International Committee of the Red Cross and Egyptian-backed rescue teams assisted local emergency crews on Wednesday in their search for survivors of the building collapse.

In a statement, Ramiz Alakbarov, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, urged international authorities to allow heavy equipment into Gaza to assist in search-and-rescue operations, along with vital humanitarian aid.

“Every possible effort must be made to save lives, protect people from further harm and provide families with safer places to live,” he said. “Every minute counts.”

Natan Odenheimer is a Times reporter in Jerusalem, covering Israeli and Palestinian affairs.

Adam Rasgon is a reporter for The Times in Jerusalem, covering Israeli and Palestinian affairs.

Related Content

Advertisement