At least 20 multi-story buildings have been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, according to the military, which said Hamas used them for terror purposes. New satellite images reveal the scale of the devastation across Gaza’s neighborhoods.
Destruction of the Burj Mushtaha tower
Israel estimates that close to 500,000 people have fled Gaza City since the start of the ground maneuver. Before the campaign, the population was estimated at 1 million, meaning roughly half remain, complicating Israel’s stated goal of capturing the city and defeating Hamas there.
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Sheikh Radwan: The destruction before (August) and after (September)
(Photo: Reuters/ Planet Labs PBC)
Residents say the destruction has been concentrated in Zeitoun, Tuffah, Shejaiya, and Sheikh Radwan. According to ACLED, a global conflict-monitoring group, more than 170 demolitions have been recorded in the city since early August. “The pace and scale appear broader than in the past,” the group told Reuters.
The high-rises, often destroyed by airstrikes rather than ground charges, have left entire families homeless. One of them, the 15-story “Bourj Mushtaha,” was bombed from the air two weeks ago. Among its former residents was Shadi Salama al-Rais, a bank employee who purchased his apartment a decade ago. He and his family are now without a home. Al-Rais said the systematic destruction of towers and homes is intended “to cleanse the population from Gaza City.”
The IDF said in response that Hamas operated an underground facility beneath Burj Mushtaha, using it to launch attacks on troops active inside the city.