The IDF demolished three high-rise buildings in Gaza City over the past 24 hours as part of preparations for the planned takeover of the city in the ongoing Gideon’s Chariots II operation.
The first tower already had a roof damaged in an earlier strike. The second, destroyed Saturday, was notable for the large number of solar panels covering its roof.
Israeli strike on Saturday
In a statement after the strike on the Al-Rawiya building in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, the IDF said Hamas had installed intelligence-gathering equipment and observation posts in the tower and had planted numerous explosive devices nearby. The solar panels, the military said, may have been connected to a nearby terror tunnel.
The IDF has long accused Hamas of using alternative electricity sources to power its underground infrastructure. Early in the war, the IDF said shafts discovered in Gaza City’s central Palestine Square were connected to hideouts and offices of Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, both of whom were later killed. The shafts led to what the military described as “Hamas’s bunker,” a massive underground base powered by Gaza’s main energy grid.
Israeli strike on Friday
At the time, the IDF said Hamas had secured hundreds of protected generators in a separate underground facility and established a backup network of cables carrying electricity from thousands of rooftop solar panels in nearby residential neighborhoods. “It is clear that it takes decades to build such a vast, organized complex,” the IDF said nearly two years ago.
In January’s hostage deal, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim stressed that the agreement allowed for the entry of supplies to restore electricity, including generators, solar panels and fuel, followed by rehabilitation of Gaza’s grid. Those materials were likely brought in during that period, and the solar panels on Al-Rawiya’s roof appear to have powered Hamas facilities until the building’s destruction Saturday.
Gaza City residents moving south
Along with the strike on Al-Rawiya, the Al-Susi tower was also demolished, leaving hundreds of families homeless. As the IDF prepared to expand operations, heavy traffic was reported on Gaza’s coastal Al-Rashid road Saturday as residents moved south from Gaza City.
The Association of Displaced Persons in Khan Younis and Rafah said the designated “safe zone” in Al-Mawasi is overcrowded and lacks adequate facilities. “Basic services in the area have not reached a sufficient level,” the group said. “We call on our people not to be misled by the occupation’s propaganda. We salute the steadfastness of our people in Gaza and in the north of the Strip against the occupation’s aggression and we stress that they can thwart the displacement plan.”