GAZA — The Israeli military leveled a 12-story tower in a densely populated area of Gaza City and warned it will target more high-rise buildings as it escalates its offensive to seize control of the city, declaring that the “gates of hell” are opening in Gaza.
Israel’s Defence Minister warned on Friday, “When the gate is opened, it will not be closed, and [Israeli military] activity will intensify” until Hamas accept Israel’s conditions for ending the war – led by the release of all the hostages and disarmament – or they will be destroyed.”
He said the military had issued a forced evacuation order for the Mushtaha Tower, a high-rise building in the west of Gaza City, which had been attacked and partially destroyed by Israeli forces earlier in the war.
Israel’s Claims to Target High-Rise Towers
Shortly after, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee has claimed that the Israeli military will target several buildings in Gaza City over the coming days that he claims are being used by Hamas.
“Over the coming days, the [Israeli military] will attack several buildings that have been converted into terrorist infrastructure in preparation for expanding the operation into Gaza City: cameras, observation rooms, sniper and anti-tank missile launching positions, and command and control centres,” he said in a statement.
He alleged that Israeli intelligence had determined that Hamas is making use of several multistorey towers.
“In accordance with Hamas’s combat doctrine, the organisation has integrated intelligence gathering tools, cameras, sniper and anti-tank missile launching positions into these buildings, and in some, observation rooms and command and control centres have been established,” he said.
“In addition, Hamas’s underground infrastructure runs close to these buildings, with the aim of setting up ambushes against [Israeli] forces and providing potential escape routes from the headquarters located there.”
Targeting Mushtaha Tower
15 Minutes later, the 12-storey Mushtaha Tower was levelled to the ground by Israeli fighter jets. The tower was hit by multiple missiles that led to its full destruction.
The tower is surrounded by hundreds of makeshift tents, as this portion of the city is considered to be the last refuge for families fleeing areas of bombardment in the eastern outskirts.
Israel’s strike on the tower has left behind a trail of destruction and led to significant casualties among civilians, a number of whom have been transferred to al-Shifa Hospital for urgent medical treatment.
The Israeli military claimed that the multistorey building included “Hamas infrastructure” and was used to plan and carry out operations against Israeli forces.
The management of the Mashtaha Tower has denied the Israeli claims, adding the building was only accessible to displaced people.
Israeli Plan to Occupy Gaza City
The Israeli attacks and threats came as the military pushed deeper into Gaza City, forcing residents to flee amid intense bombardment as Israel approved plans to seize the City, despite international condemnation from the United Nations and states.
The plan reportedly involves forcing around one million residents southwards before surrounding the city and launching incursions into residential areas, followed by an expansion into refugee camps in central Gaza.
Critics and legal experts say that targeting high-rise buildings is a stark escalation of urban warfare that endangers the lives of hundreds of thousands of people taking refuge around them.
Not the First Time
Israel has frequently failed to provide evidence to back up its claims that Hamas is using civilian buildings for military purposes.
It has a track record of conducting hits on residential buildings and towers located within the Gaza Strip, one of the world’s most densely populated areas.
These actions, referred to by the Israeli army as “precision strikes” targeting resistance groups, frequently occur in densely inhabited areas and have resulted in civilian casualties. — QNN
