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The Israeli military has ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the southern part of the Gaza Strip, directing them to seek shelter in a designated humanitarian zone. Immediately following this order, Israeli forces conducted an airstrike that demolished another multi-storey residential building in Gaza City, which was sheltering several civilian Palestinian families, according to local sources.
Gaza City, the largest urban center in the Gaza Strip, has been under intense Israeli military operations since last month, aimed at taking control of the area. The military has escalated airstrikes and launched ground operations on the city’s outskirts, worsening the already dire situation for Palestinians. Israel has not specified how long these operations will continue.
On Saturday, Israeli forces targeted a 15-storey residential building known as the Susy Residential Tower. The Israeli military claimed that Hamas had installed surveillance equipment in the building to gather intelligence and monitor Israeli troops, justifying its destruction. They stated that measures were taken to minimize civilian casualties. Eyewitnesses reported that the building was razed before their eyes, and a video of the destruction was shared on social media by Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, who had also released footage of another multi-storey building’s destruction the previous day.
Katz warned that such attacks would continue, with the Israeli military stating that Hamas-operated structures, particularly high-rise buildings, would be targeted in the coming days. On Friday, residents of another multi-storey building were ordered to evacuate. The Israeli Defense Forces’ spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted on X, urging Gaza City residents to move to the “safe” Al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, promising food, tents, medicine, and medical equipment for those who relocate.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has conducted relentless attacks on Gaza. Early in the conflict, Al-Mawasi was declared a “safe” zone, but repeated strikes have targeted the area under claims that Hamas fighters are hiding among civilians, raising doubts among Palestinians about its safety. Abdel Nasser Mustaha, a 48-year-old resident of Gaza City’s Zeitoun area now sheltering in Rimal, said, “Some say we should flee, others say no, because bombs Sexually Transmitted Disease bombing is happening everywhere in Gaza. For one and a half years, the so-called Al-Mawasi humanitarian area has faced bombardments and massacres.”
On Saturday alone, at least 35 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza. Since the onset of the conflict 23 months ago, over 64,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 162,000 injured, mostly women and children. The United Nations has warned that if Israel continues its operation to seize Gaza City, the situation could become “catastrophic.” Last month, the UN-backed IPC declared a famine in Gaza City. According to the UN, around 1 million Palestinians, many displaced multiple times to escape attacks, currently reside in and around the city. Samia Mustaha, a 20-year-old resident, said, “Where will we go? Bombs or starvation—death is chasing us.”A helpless Palestinian sits beside the rubble of the destroyed Susy Tower in Gaza City. Photo: AFP
