Why it matters:
The destruction of Gaza City’s residential towers has become a defining feature of Israel’s genocidal war, stripping the city of vital civilian infrastructure and leaving families without shelter. Analysts say the strategy reflects an intent to make Gaza City uninhabitable.
The big picture:
Since last month, Israel has subjected Gaza City, home to nearly one million people, to some of the heaviest bombardments of the war.
The latest escalation is part of an Israeli military campaign it calls “Gideon’s Chariots 2”, which officials say aims to “completely occupy Gaza City.”
Palestinian health authorities report that since October 7, 2023, Israel’s genocidal war has killed more than 64,800 people and wounded more than 163,000, the majority women and children.
What they’re saying:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over war crimes in Gaza, has defended the destruction of residential towers as operations against what he called “terrorist infrastructure.”
Israeli War Minister Yisrael Katz declared last month: “Gaza after this operation will not be the same as in the past.”
Palestinian officials say Israel has been pursuing a campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide by targeting residential areas.
Key points:
- On Saturday, strikes leveled the Al-Nour residential tower near the Ministry of Education in Tel al-Hawa and flattened the Tayba II Tower near the Rimal neighborhood.
- On Friday, the five-story al-Ruya Tower was destroyed, following attacks on the 15-story Soussi Tower and the 12-story Mushtaha Tower.
- Entire blocks of civilian housing have been reduced to rubble, leaving survivors to camp in the streets or seek refuge in overcrowded shelters.
Go deeper:
Rights groups say repeated targeting of residential towers violates international humanitarian law, which prohibits collective punishment.
UN officials warn that the destruction of Gaza City’s housing stock is accelerating displacement and could leave the city permanently uninhabitable.
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