Israeli military officials on Saturday issued evacuation orders urging residents of northern Gaza City to flee south shortly before warplanes struck and brought down a 15-story residential tower, the second high-rise to be destroyed in the city in as many days.
The warning, posted on social media at about 1 p.m. local time by Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee, told occupants of the building and adjacent encampments to "evacuate building immediately southward toward the humanitarian zone in Mawasi Khan Younis." The Defence Forces said the strike was carried out because of the "presence of Hamas terrorist infrastructure inside or near" the building. About 40 minutes after the notice, Adraee said the operation was complete. The 15-story building collapsed in a matter of seconds after the strike.
Defense Minister Israel Katz posted video footage of the building’s collapse on social media with the statement, "We continue." Katz also shared a similar clip on Friday of another Gaza City high-rise being destroyed, which he captioned, "We're starting." The Israeli Defense Forces have said the earlier strike and Saturday’s operation targeted structures it alleges contained Hamas command-and-control infrastructure.
A day earlier, a separate high-rise in Gaza City was demolished following a similar warning and strike. Local reporting and video shared on social platforms show rapid collapses in both incidents; authorities on each side have used social media to relay claims and justifications for the attacks. The Israeli notices specifically directed civilians toward Mawasi Khan Younis, an area the military has described as a humanitarian zone for those moving south within the Gaza Strip.
The strikes add to a pattern of Israeli operations targeting multi-story buildings in densely populated urban areas of Gaza, actions the military says are aimed at degrading the capabilities of Hamas. Israeli statements have emphasized efforts to warn civilians prior to some strikes, while Palestinian and international humanitarian sources have repeatedly raised concerns about civilian displacement and the risks of urban warfare in densely inhabited neighborhoods.
Humanitarian organizations and regional authorities have documented large-scale population movements within Gaza since the renewed hostilities began, with civilians seeking safety and services in designated zones and makeshift encampments. The use of evacuation warnings on social media and the rapid timing between notices and strikes have drawn scrutiny from organizations tracking civilian protection in conflict zones, which monitor both the content of warnings and the practical ability of residents to reach safer areas.
Wednesday’s and Friday’s high-rise strikes, followed by Saturday’s demolition, occurred amid ongoing exchanges of military actions across the Israel-Gaza front. Israeli officials have repeatedly asserted that some urban civilian structures have been repurposed by Hamas for military uses, while Hamas has condemned strikes that hit residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
Independent verification of claims about the presence of militant infrastructure inside the targeted buildings was not available at the time of the strikes. There were no immediate, independently confirmed reports of casualties or injuries connected to Saturday’s collapse; reporting from Gaza is frequently constrained by conflict conditions and limited access.
The strikes and evacuation notices are part of a broader and evolving operational campaign in Gaza City that continued into the weekend. International actors and humanitarian organizations continue to call for measures to protect civilians and facilitate aid deliveries amid the shifting front lines and the scale of displacement within the territory.
