GAZA CITY — Rescue workers searched on Wednesday through the wreckage of a seven-storey apartment building that collapsed overnight, killing at least 20 Palestinians, including children, and trapping others beneath the rubble.

Reuters reported that Gaza civil-defence workers said 14 people were injured and that nearly 100 more were believed to be under the wreckage. The building had been damaged in an earlier Israeli strike, and the report said at least 10 families were living there.

The search was being conducted with limited machinery. Alessandro Mrakic, head of the United Nations Development Programme’s Gaza office, told Reuters that some UN agencies were involved and that people were digging by hand because the necessary equipment was not available.

The collapse highlights a broader structural threat. Reuters reported that tens of thousands of Palestinians were living in roughly 2,000 buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes across Gaza. A UN humanitarian official said about 400 buildings were at risk of collapse, with winter rain expected to add pressure to weakened structures.

The cause of this collapse was not immediately established. The casualty figures are also from first-day reports and may change as the search continues. What is clear is that families are occupying buildings already marked by war, with limited shelter alternatives and limited capacity to make damaged homes safe.

*Reporting note: this article is based on the source record listed above and is current as of 16 September 2026. Figures, operational claims and casualty counts may change as authorities update their accounts.*