Since Friday, Israel has escalated its military offensive in the heart of Gaza City. In the course of doing so, they bombed two high-rise buildings — killing at least 56 Palestinians. The Israeli military announced evacuation orders, telling civilians in their homes to evacuate. This call came after the years-long military operation, dubbed Operation Zombies, has come under loud and bipartisan criticism from both domestic and international watchdogs.
On Friday, Israeli aircraft levelled the Mushtaha Tower, one of the tallest and most visible buildings in Gaza City, killing residents and instantly demolishing the 15-story building. Many residents received as little as 20 minutes notice before they were expected to leave their homes, leaving them little time to plan or prepare. The next day, Israeli forces bombed the Sousi Tower, in Gaza City, massively escalating the violence.
In response to these attacks, Israel dropped thousands of leaflets in western neighborhoods of Gaza City urging residents to evacuate. The military ordered them to move south to an area the military called a humanitarian zone. This strip, called al-Mawasi, has lived through horrendous life circumstances, labeled by many as hell on earth.
According to reports from Gaza’s civil defense agency, spokesperson Mahmud Bassal confirmed that the airstrikes on Saturday resulted in the deaths of 56 Palestinians, including 19 individuals near an aid distribution center in northern Gaza. This tragic civilian toll even amid the conflict underscores a dangerous environment that all civilians have faced since the beginning of this conflict.
“Some say we should evacuate, others say we should stay,” – Abdel Nasser Mushtaha
The blood-drenched war continues to garner enormous media interest around the world, with Israel coming under massive pressure to stop its deadly military campaign. The health ministry in Gaza recently announced that more than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war almost two years ago. The vast majority of those casualties are civilians. The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen at an alarming rate. The artificial introduction of Israeli blockade has brought on a famine within the territory, adding insult to injury.
The residents of the Sousi Tower gave testimony to their desperation and despair during this time of terror and chaos. In response, Samia Mushtaha shared a feeling that everything was completely hopeless.
“It no longer makes any difference to us,” – Samia Mushtaha
We leave behind the kind of uncertainty and danger families face each and every day. Consequently, demands for a ceasefire and a more humane solution to the conflict have grown exponentially. Watch video Thousands packed the streets during protests across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Saturday evening. They called for an end to the violence and for a negotiated deal to release hostages.
The Israeli government has failed to publicly share a timeline for its military operations in Gaza City. It has promised that it will continue to pursue those efforts. Yesterday, an attack on al-Mawasi killed at least nine people. Tragically, among them were five children waiting in line for water. The unfortunate incident brought even more attention to the dire need for humanitarian aid in the region.
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, posted a video on social media showing the destruction of the Sousi Tower, accompanied by the statement: “We continue.” This declaration reaffirms a dangerous commitment to continued military action even in the face of increasing civilian death and outcry from humanitarian, military, and civil society actors.