Israel on Saturday struck another high-rise in Gaza City, the second in as many days, as its forces pressed deeper into the densely populated urban centre. Witnesses identified the building as the 15-storey Sussi Tower, with footage shared online showing the moment it collapsed in a cloud of smoke and dust.“A short while ago, the IDF struck a high-rise building that was used by the Hamas terrorist organisation in the area of Gaza City,” the Israeli military said in a statement. The army claimed Hamas had installed intelligence-gathering equipment and observation posts in the tower to monitor Israeli troop movements, and that explosives were also planted nearby. The statement added that “steps were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians” before the strike. Defence Minister Israel Katz posted a video of the attack on X, writing: “We’re continuing.”
The strike followed urgent warnings issued earlier by the IDF, which called on residents of Gaza City to evacuate before what it said would be “precise, targeted strikes” on Hamas infrastructure. Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said civilians should move south to the designated humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, near Khan Younis, as reported by Times of Israel. Israel has declared Gaza City a combat zone and has been urging civilians to leave ahead of an expected wider assault.The attack mirrored Friday’s strike on the Mushtaha Tower in Gaza City’s Rimal district, which Israel also accused Hamas of using for surveillance and ambush planning. That building, too, was destroyed after warnings to residents. Palestinians said displaced families had been sheltering in and around the tower, with tents visible in satellite imagery. It was not clear if casualties occurred in either strike.The latest escalation comes as Israel mobilises tens of thousands of reservists and intensifies its offensive to dismantle what it calls Hamas’s last strongholds. The campaign has drawn domestic criticism, with protesters warning it endangers hostages still held in Gaza, as well as international condemnation over the humanitarian toll.Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, in which around 1,200 people were killed in Israel and 251 abducted, the war has left Gaza in ruins. Gaza’s health ministry says more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed, nearly half of them women and children.
