Israeli forces struck multiple skyscrapers in Gaza on Sunday after warning people to leave several areas with the latest destruction since Israel ordered the city to fully evacuate earlier this week.
Israeli attacks on Gaza City appear to be accelerating, with the military issued evacuation orders for several towers in Gaza City within hours of Sunday morning.
The strike came before a meeting called by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss efforts to avoid injuring the hostages still held in Gaza when Israeli forces were still planning to take control of Gaza city.
The meeting will be attended by Israeli Foreign and Defense Ministers and leaders of Israeli military and security services, sources said. There are still around 20 hostages alive in the enclave, some of which are believed to be in Gaza City.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in the area on Sunday, arriving in Tel Aviv in the morning and visiting the western wall of Jerusalem’s old town in the afternoon.
Among the buildings attacked on Sunday was the Al-Khausar tower, near the port of Gaza. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said Hamas was being used to observe Israeli forces’ movements in the area. “Measures have been taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of high-level warnings to the population, accurate ammunition (and air surveillance),” he said before the strike.
Al Kawthar (an 11-storey building) is one of several skyscrapers that have been destroyed or severely damaged by Israeli strikes since the IDF expanded its operations to Gaza city earlier this month, and has ordered nearly a million people in the area to head south.
A few hours later, a multi-storey building in Gaza was struck by Israeli forces after another warning was posted to X by the Israeli forces, but was not demolished. The skyscraper known as the Al Mona Tower is located near Tel Al Hawa.
Another building at the Islamic University in Gaza was struck and destroyed by several missiles, according to images and video from the scene. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz posted a video of a strike targeting the six-storey building in X, saying, “The ‘Islamic’ university in Gaza is in smoke. Eliminate the source of instigation and terrorism. ”
Hospital officials said at least 74 Palestinians were killed on an Israeli strike in Gaza on Saturday, and more than 50 people were killed in Gaza city.
Al-Shati camp in Gaza was targeted late Saturday as Israel’s strike escalated. Aftermath video shows a major fire broke out in an area where people are evacuating.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been made homeless after Israeli forces have stepped up actions in the city over the past week, Gaza Civil Defense said in a statement Thursday. According to civil defense, Israeli forces destroyed more than 130 home construction in the enclave’s largest city at the same time.
CNN has recorded the destruction of at least 12 skyscrapers in central Gaza since September 5th.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said 64,871 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of Israeli military operations after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, and 164,610 people were injured on Sunday.
Israel’s escalating attack on Gaza city came when Rubio arrived at the country for discussion about war and hostages. On Sunday he visited the western wall of Jerusalem’s old town with US ambassadors, Netanyahu and Israeli Mike Huckabee.
Rubio is scheduled to officially meet Netanyahu on Monday. Israeli leaders are expected to raise the government’s West Bank annexation plan with Rubio, according to three Israeli sources.
