Israeli forces target more high-rise buildings in Gaza city, warning residents to flee to 'humanitarian zone'

"Israeli forces have been carrying out an offensive on the suburbs of the northern city for weeks after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to capture it. Netanyahu says Gaza city itself is a Hamas stronghold, and capturing it is necessary. The assault threatens to displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering there after nearly two years of fighting. Before the war, around a million people - nearly half of Gaza's population - lived in the city."

"Israeli military said residents should leave the city for a "designated coastal area" in southern Gaza, assuring those fleeing that they would get food, medical care and shelter there. The designated area was a "humanitarian zone". The military also issued so-called "evacuation warnings" to civilians in certain areas of the city, warning it was about to carry out attacks. The military later bombed a high-rise Gaza city tower that it said was being used by Hamas, without providing evidence to support the assertion."

"Israel's defence minister Israel Katz shared a video online of a multi-storey building collapsing after the strike, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. The Israeli military said Hamas used the building to gather intelligence and that explosive devices had been planted nearby. Palestinians said it had been used to shelter the displaced."

Israeli forces have launched an offensive on northern Gaza City suburbs following an order to capture the city, issuing evacuation warnings and targeting urban areas. The military directed residents toward a designated coastal humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, assuring food, medical care and shelter for those who flee. A high-rise tower in Gaza City was later bombed; the military claimed Hamas used it and planted explosives but provided no evidence. Israel's defence minister posted footage of a collapsing building. Palestinians and Hamas say towers sheltered displaced civilians and describe the operations as forced displacement. Gaza health authorities reported dozens of recent deaths.

Read at Irish Independent