The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday struck the al-Susi high-rise in Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, a building the military identified as a Hamas operations hub. The strike came less than an hour after the IDF issued urgent evacuation orders to residents, part of a wider operation to dismantle Hamas’s grip on the city.
According to the IDF, Hamas operatives had turned the tower into a surveillance base, installing observation posts and planting explosive devices nearby to target Israeli troops. Beneath the structure, terror tunnels connected to Hamas’s underground network were used to coordinate attacks.
Defense Minister Israel Katz released footage of the strike showing the 15-story building collapsing after precision munitions hit their target. “We’re continuing,” Katz wrote, signaling the operation’s momentum. The attack followed the previous day’s demolition of another Gaza high-rise tied to Hamas activity.
The IDF stressed that precautionary measures were taken to minimize civilian casualties, including direct evacuation warnings and aerial monitoring before the strike. Despite Hamas claims of casualties, those reports remain unverified. Israel has consistently accused Hamas of embedding its fighters and infrastructure inside civilian areas, turning residential buildings into military assets.
The strike underscores Israel’s strategy: dismantling Hamas’s military network in Gaza City while urging civilians to move southward to safer humanitarian zones.
