Strikes hit high-rise buildings and crowded shelters as Palestinians warn of systematic displacement plan
Israel escalated its assault on Gaza City on Wednesday, flattening residential towers and pounding crowded neighborhoods, as Tel Aviv pressed ahead with an ongoing offensive to occupy the entire city.
Explosions echoed throughout the day as Israeli jets struck across the city of more than 1.2 million people. The attacks were concentrated in the west, where hundreds of thousands of displaced families from northern and eastern Gaza have sought refuge, witnesses said.
One of the strikes destroyed the “Tayba 2” tower, a seven-story building that housed hundreds of residents and stood beside camps for the displaced. Medics said two Palestinians were killed, several others wounded, as thousands were left without shelter after the attack.
The building was the seventh high-rise brought down in Gaza City since Friday, part of what residents describe as a step-by-step demolition of apartment blocks aimed at making the city uninhabitable.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee urged civilians to evacuate immediately via al-Rashid Street toward al-Mawasi in southern Khan Younis, warning that remaining in the city is “extremely dangerous” and vowing expanded operations to “eliminate Hamas.”
Palestinian officials countered that the campaign is designed to empty Gaza City. The Government Media Office said more than 1.2 million people remain despite bombardment and displacement, accusing Israel of trying to force 1.7 million Palestinians into the coastal strip of al-Mawasi and Rafah, which lack hospitals, infrastructure or basic services.
Human Rights Watch has reported that Israel has destroyed nearly 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure since October 2023, leaving most displaced families with nowhere to live except schools and university buildings.
The bombardment comes as part of Israel’s latest ground offensive, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots 2,” launched Sept. 3 to fully occupy Gaza City. The plan has faced criticism inside Israel over fears it could jeopardize the lives of soldiers and captives held in the enclave.
The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 64,600 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
