Israel has bombed a third residential high-rise in Gaza City in as many days, witnesses confirmed on Sunday. The Al-Roya Tower was hit after an evacuation warning, following the destruction of the 15-storey Sousi Tower on Saturday and the Mushtaha Tower on Friday. A Gaza City hospital reported one person killed in the latest strike, adding to 14 killed in overnight air attacks, including a strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians.
The Israeli military claimed, without providing evidence, that Hamas had infrastructure inside or near the towers. Hamas dismissed the allegations as “baseless lies”, asserting the buildings were purely residential. Residents of Sousi Tower said they were given about 20 minutes to flee before warplanes razed the building. Defence Minister Israel Katz posted a video of the collapse online with the words “We continue”, having earlier warned that “the gates of hell are being unlocked in Gaza City”.
Gaza civil defence agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal said 56 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire on Saturday, including 19 near an aid distribution centre in the north. The Israeli military requested precise timeframes and coordinates to investigate the reports. Meanwhile, evacuation warnings have been issued for parts of Gaza City, with leaflets dropped over the city declaring al-Mawasi a “humanitarian zone”.
Tens of thousands have already fled south, but many residents remain distrustful of the safe zones, noting past Israeli strikes in such areas. “Everywhere in Gaza there are bombings and deaths,” said resident Abdel Nasser Mushtaha. His daughter Samia added: “Wherever we go, death pursues us, whether by bombing or hunger.”
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged Hamas to lay down its arms and surrender, saying Israel would prefer a political resolution. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called on Israel to “change course”. Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim offered to release all remaining Israeli hostages if Israel ended the war and withdrew from Gaza, but refused to disarm.
