Death toll in Gaza apartment building collapse rises to 12, over 100 missing

By AFP and ToI Staff 16 September 2026, 12:38 pm

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Palestinian crews search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a collapsed building that housed displaced Palestinians and was heavily damaged during the Israel-Hamas war, in Gaza City, September 16, 2026. (AP/Jehad Alshrafi)

Hamas-led authorities in Gaza now say at least 12 people including children have died and more than 100 are missing after a Gaza apartment building collapsed from damage sustained in previous Israeli strikes.

The six-story 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 Hamas-run civil defense agency.

Agency spokesman Mahmoud Basal tells AFP the building had sustained structural damage from Israeli strikes. The building was hit multiple times in 2024 and March 2025, leading to warnings for Gazans not to go back, he adds.

“At least 12 martyrs, including five children, have been recovered so far,” Basal says.

“They have no other choice. With neither tents nor homes available, they are living in cracked, damaged buildings despite the risk of collapse,” Basal says.

The vast majority of buildings in Gaza were damaged or destroyed in Israeli strikes during the war with the terror group, according to the United Nations.