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Rabat – Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has warned of a major escalation in Gaza, saying the “gates of hell are opening now” as the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) began targeting high-rise buildings in Gaza City.
Israeli forces issued a forced evacuation order today for the Mushtaha Tower, a 12-storey building on the western side of Gaza City. The tower, which Israel struck later today, had already been partially destroyed in earlier strikes, but it continued to house displaced families.
Hundreds of makeshift tents surround the building, as the area is considered one of the last shelters for people fleeing bombardment in the eastern outskirts.
Katz said the new “military phase” would continue until Hamas agreed to Israel’s demands, which include the release of all hostages and disarmament. “When the gate is opened, it will not be closed, and activity will intensify until the Hamas murderers and rapists accept Israel’s conditions for ending the war, or they will be destroyed,” he wrote on X.
Israeli Army Radio confirmed that the Mushtaha Tower was one of several buildings that will be cleared and struck in the coming days. Military spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed intelligence indicated that Hamas fighters were using tall buildings as part of their combat strategy.
The usual Hamas claims
According to Adraee, Hamas has also set up underground tunnels close to the buildings to prepare ambushes and provide escape routes.
Israel has long accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure for military purposes, but it has often been criticized for failing to provide concrete evidence for such claims and using them as excuses to target civilians.
The management of the Mushtaha Tower rejected Israel’s allegations. In comments to Al Jazeera Arabic, they insisted the building had no military presence and was only hosting displaced families.
The strike and evacuation order have provoked fear across Gaza City, where high-rise buildings dominate the skyline. The city has hundreds of multistorey towers, most of them located in crowded residential districts. For many families, these buildings have become the last available refuge after months of bombardment destroyed large parts of the city.
Residents say the new focus on towers signals a terrifying shift in Israel’s campaign. Palestinians in Gaza City told reporters they feel trapped, as they have no safe place left to flee.
Humanitarian groups warn that the destruction of more towers will only worsen the crisis in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have already been displaced. Aid agencies stress that forced evacuations in densely populated areas put civilians at even greater risk, especially children, women, and the elderly.
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