On September 7, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had attacked a high-rise building in Gaza citadel, saying the building was used by the armed group Hamas to monitor soldiers. Video released by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz shows the 15-storey Sussi apartment tower collapsing completely in just a few seconds.
The IDF said that before carrying out the attack, it had issued evacuation warnings to minimize casualties for civilians. Hamas has denied the allegations and condemned Israel for destroying civil works. The day before, the IDF also airstrikes Mushtaha tower in Al-Rimal neighborhood, causing the building to collapse.
IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee called on Gaza residents to move to the Al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza, which Israel has declared a safe zone. Israeli aircraft also dropped thousands of leaflets on residential areas in the western part of Gaza City, calling on people to evacuate. However, many residents believe that staying or leaving is potentially dangerous because bombs and bullets are scattered throughout this strip of land.
Some residents expressed their despair as Al-Mawasi has been attacked by Israel many times, despite being called a safe zone. At the same time, a spokesman for the Gaza Civil Defense Agency, Mahmud Bassal, said that 55 Palestinians were killed on the same day, including 18 near a aid distribution center in the north.
The IDF has said it will continue to attack structures used by Hamas, especially high-rise buildings, and deploy airstrikes and ground operations in the suburbs of Gaza City. This raises concerns about the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation here.
