More than 20 people, including several children, were killed after a war-damaged residential building collapsed in Gaza City early Wednesday, according to local authorities. Dozens of others were feared trapped beneath the rubble as rescue teams searched for survivors.

Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa Hospital, told CNN that at least 21 people had died, including 11 children. He said many others were injured in the collapse.

Search and rescue operations were underway at the site of the six-story al-Sa’ada building in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood. Gaza’s Civil Defense agency said around 100 people were missing following the collapse.

The building contained four apartments on each floor and had previously been damaged by Israeli airstrikes at the beginning of the war in Gaza. The strikes followed the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense agency.

The United Nations estimates that about 80% of structures across Gaza have been damaged since the conflict began, with around two-thirds destroyed. The widespread destruction has left many Palestinians struggling to find safe shelter while Israeli airstrikes continue and unexploded ordnance remains a danger.

The need for shelter has become increasingly urgent as winter approaches. The UN said around 1.9 million Palestinians, or approximately 90% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced during the war, with many forced to move multiple times.

Hamas’ media office in Gaza said the collapsed building had housed dozens of displaced families who had been forced to seek shelter there because there were few safe alternatives. It accused Israel of restricting the entry of heavy equipment and other supplies needed for rescue operations.

Israel restricts the entry of goods it classifies as “dual-use,” including heavy machinery, arguing that such equipment could potentially be repurposed by Hamas for military purposes.

Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, called for urgent approval of heavy machinery, engine oil and fuel to enter Gaza to support rescue operations.

“No one should have to risk their life simply to find a safe place to shelter,” Alakbarov said.

Gaza’s Ministry of Housing said about 3,000 buildings across the territory have been classified as dangerous or at risk of collapse after previous Israeli strikes caused structural damage and cracks.

The ministry warned that the damaged structures pose a direct threat to thousands of families and called for an immediate regional and international response.

Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, described the scene as a “tragic, painful” humanitarian disaster. He said residents woke around 3 a.m. to screams and the cries of children trapped inside the building after it collapsed.

Basal also warned that other damaged structures could collapse in areas where Palestinians are currently sheltering.

Little significant reconstruction has taken place in Gaza since a fragile ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel was reached last October. The UN reported in late August that the proportion of damaged buildings in the territory had continued to increase even after the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, substantial progress by US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, established to advance a US-brokered ceasefire agreement, has remained elusive following recent criticism from Israel.

SOURCE: CNN, Ibrahim Dahman, Abeer Salman and Billy Stockwell, September 16, 2026.