GAZA CITY – September 6, 2025
Israeli forces continued their bombardment of Gaza City on Saturday, targeting and demolishing high-rise buildings following mass evacuation orders issued to residents. The latest strike flattened the 15-storey Soussi Tower in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood, just opposite a UNRWA facility.
The Israeli military released a map marking more high-rises for destruction, claiming—without presenting evidence—that Hamas operatives used the targeted structures for intelligence gathering and tunnel operations. Gaza’s Government Media Office rejected the claims as “systematic deception” aimed at justifying the destruction of civilian infrastructure and displacing Palestinians.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Gaza, Hani Mahmoud, reported rising panic among residents, many of whom were given as little as 30 minutes to evacuate their homes before the strikes.
Civilian Deaths Mount as Urban Destruction Escalates
According to medical sources, at least 67 people have been killed since Saturday morning, 45 of them in Gaza City alone. The Ministry of Health also confirmed that six more Palestinians, including children, died from starvation in the past 24 hours, raising the famine death toll to 382, amid Israel’s continued blockade and siege.
UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram described the situation as “an enormous threat” to nearly one million people in Gaza City, noting that half of the population are children.
“Life is becoming almost impossible for them,” Ingram told Al Jazeera.
Save the Children reported a devastating statistic: at least one child has been killed every hour on average since the war began nearly two years ago, calling it a “horrific new low.”
Since the start of Israel’s military campaign in October 2023, over 64,368 Palestinians have been killed, and 162,367 wounded, according to Gaza health authorities.
So-Called ‘Safe Zones’ Also Targeted
Despite designating parts of southern Gaza—such as the coastal al-Mawasi area—as “humanitarian zones,” Israeli forces have continued to strike those regions. On Saturday, two people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a tent sheltering displaced families in al-Mawasi near Khan Younis.
Gaza’s Ministry of Interior has warned residents not to trust Israeli-declared safe zones, calling them a pretext for forced displacement and noting repeated attacks on designated humanitarian areas.
“We are walking not only on ruins but also on dead bodies of our loved ones,” said Aqeel Kishko, a Gaza City resident returning to the devastated Zeitoun neighbourhood.
Others echoed the sentiment of total loss.
“What we built in 50 years was flattened in five days,” Kishko added.
“There is nothing to return to,” said resident Nohaa Tafish.
“It’s as if the entire Zeitoun neighbourhood was hit with a nuclear bomb,” said Ahmed Rihem.
International Condemnation Grows
Amid mounting global criticism, UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Alrifai described the current Israeli offensive as “an incessant campaign to raze entire neighbourhoods” and wipe out entire families.
Despite calls for a ceasefire, Israel appears determined to seize full control of Gaza City, raising fears of further mass casualties and irreversible destruction of Palestine’s largest urban centre.
