IDF Strikes Gaza City Residential Building in Rimal; Al Jazeera Films Damage in Wake of Continuing Airstrikes

Israeli forces conducted additional airstrikes on a residential building in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on May 16, 2026. Al Jazeera filmed footage of the aftermath showing extensive structural collapse in the densely populated neighborhood. The strikes continued a pattern of IDF operations in the Rimal area that began with the May 15 strike killing Hamas armed wing chief al-Haddad and at least 6 others and wounding 50+. The Long War Journal reported that Israeli and US officials characterized al-Haddad as a key figure blocking the Trump Gaza plan by coordinating active militant operations during the ceasefire. As of May 16, the cumulative Palestinian death toll since the October 2025 ceasefire exceeded approximately 900. The IDF continued to cite active Hamas ceasefire violations — reporting 19 separate violations between April 21 and May 5 alone — as justification for ongoing strike operations inside Gaza.