Israel Orders Gaza City Evacuations and Strikes High-Rise Towers Amid Escalating Offensive

Published Time: 09-07-2025, 11:20 EDT

Israel has intensified its military campaign in Gaza City, ordering civilians to evacuate and targeting high-rise buildings in strikes that displaced thousands more Palestinians. The latest escalation comes as humanitarian agencies warn of famine and worsening conditions for the nearly one million people trapped in the enclave.

Evacuation Orders and Humanitarian Concerns

On Saturday, the Israeli army instructed Palestinians to flee southward ahead of what it described as an expanded offensive to seize control of Gaza’s largest city. Military spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced on social media that the army had redrawn the boundaries of a designated “humanitarian zone,” extending it to cover parts of Khan Younis and the overcrowded Muwasi encampment.

The Israeli military said it planned to provide field hospitals, water pipelines, and food supplies in the zone. But aid organizations cautioned that Muwasi already suffers from extreme shortages of food, shelter, and sanitation. Months of bombardment have severely damaged civilian infrastructure in Khan Younis, raising doubts about the feasibility of sustaining more displaced families.

Humanitarian groups, including the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), recently confirmed that Gaza City is experiencing famine conditions due to restrictions on aid deliveries. Families, many of whom have been displaced multiple times during nearly two years of conflict, say they have no safe place left to go.

“There is no safe tent, no safe house, no safe place, no safety at all,” said Nadia Marouf, a mother who fled earlier assaults in northern Gaza only to see her temporary shelter destroyed in Saturday’s strike. “Where do I go? We went to the south, there is no space in the south. Where can we go?”

Strikes on High-Rise Buildings

Israel also issued warnings before striking several high-rise towers in Gaza City, alleging Hamas used them for military purposes. One of the most prominent, Sousi Tower, was demolished shortly after residents were given about 20 minutes to evacuate.

“We were sitting at home and people started shouting,” recalled resident Aida Abu Kas. “Some said it was a lie and others said it was real. We went out and didn’t know what to do.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz shared video of the building’s collapse with the caption: “We continue.” The strike followed Friday’s demolition of Mushtaha Tower, another 15-story residential building. Hamas has denied Israel’s claims, insisting the towers were civilian structures.

The demolitions are part of a wider push to gain control of Gaza City, where displaced families have erected makeshift tents amid the ruins. The Israeli military reported last week that it had taken control of roughly 40 percent of the city.

Civilian Deaths at Aid Distribution Sites

The humanitarian crisis worsened as Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported receiving the bodies of 11 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire near the Zikim crossing on Saturday. Medical officials said they had been waiting for food aid when soldiers opened fire.

The Israeli military has previously acknowledged using live fire near crowded aid sites, saying it acts against perceived threats or to disperse crowds. Such incidents have become frequent at Zikim, where Palestinians desperate for food rush to meet incoming U.N. trucks.

On Friday, 23 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip while seeking aid, including six at Zikim, according to Shifa Hospital’s director, Mohamed Abu Selmiya. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that more than 2,000 people have been killed at aid distribution sites in recent months.

Netanyahu has rejected famine reports as a “global campaign of lies,” but testimonies from civilians describe desperate scenes. “It’s the same every day, gunfire and tank shelling whenever we try to approach the aid trucks,” said 24-year-old Ibrahim al-Taweel, who continues to risk his life for food.

Israeli Protests Over Hostage Crisis

While the offensive rages in Gaza, protests have intensified inside Israel. Thousands rallied in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Saturday evening, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secure the release of the remaining 48 hostages held in Gaza.

Chants of “all of them now!” echoed through the streets of Jerusalem, with demonstrators calling Netanyahu a “traitor” outside his residence. Signs read, “The government is burying them alive” and “An unsigned deal kills them all.”

In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, families of captives unfurled banners appealing to international leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, to intervene.

“That is not how you return abducted men and women,” said Gil Dickmann, whose cousin was killed in captivity. “That is how you kill abducted men and women.”

Hamas released a video on Friday, the 700th day of the war, showing two hostages in frail condition. Israeli officials estimate that only 20 hostages remain alive.

War’s Toll and Uncertain Future

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 251 others, according to Israeli authorities.

Since then, Israel’s offensive has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which reports that women and children represent about half of the casualties. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Ceasefire negotiations remain stalled. Hamas claims to have accepted a proposal from Arab mediators, but Israel has vowed to continue the war until Hamas disarms and all hostages are released. Israeli leaders also insist on maintaining long-term security control over Gaza — a demand Hamas rejects.

As Israel escalates its military push into Gaza City, the future of both the humanitarian crisis and the hostage negotiations remains deeply uncertain. The dual pressures of famine and conflict continue to leave civilians in desperate circumstances, while political divisions inside Israel grow sharper.