An Israeli airstrike has flattened a high-rise building in Gaza City, marking the second such incident in as many days.
The Israeli military warned residents to flee south to a “humanitarian zone” ahead of a planned offensive to capture the area.
Israel has been warning of a new assault on Gaza City for weeks, intensifying air strikes and ground operations on the city’s outskirts despite international calls to abandon the plan due to dire humanitarian conditions.
The UN estimated that nearly one million people remain in and around Gaza City, where a famine was declared last month.
The Israeli military claimed Hamas terrorists installed intelligence gathering equipment and positioned observation posts in the targeted building to monitor Israeli troops.
They assert that measures were taken to minimize harm to civilians.
Gaza City residents were skeptical about the safety of fleeing to designated humanitarian zones, citing repeated strikes on these areas.
 “Some say we should evacuate, others say we should stay,” said Abdel Nasser Mushtaha, a 48-year-old resident. “But everywhere in Gaza, there are bombings and deaths.”
The conflict has resulted in significant displacement and casualties.
Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel killed 1,219 people, while Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,368 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to UN-reliable figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the U.S. was engaged in deep negotiations with Hamas over captive releases.
However, Israel demanded the militant group release all hostages at once, disarm, and relinquish control of Gaza.
The UN warned of a looming “disaster” if the assault proceeds, emphasizing the need for a humanitarian solution to the crisis.
