GAZA — For a decade, Palestinian bank worker Shady Salama Al-Rayyes paid into a $93,000 mortgage on his apartment in a tall, modern block in one of Gaza City’s prime neighborhoods. Now, he and his family are destitute, after fleeing an Israeli strike that collapsed the building in a cloud of black smoke and dust.
The Israel Defense Forces said the 15-storey Mushtaha Tower was destroyed because it was being used by Hamas as operational infrastructure, including underground facilities that were utilized to plan attacks, stage ambushes against IDF forces and provide escape routes for terror operatives.
The September 5 strike came ahead of Israel’s ground offensive towards the heart of the densely populated city, which started this week. Over the past two weeks, the IDF said it has demolished up to 20 Gaza City tower blocks used by Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said 50 “terrorist towers” had been demolished.
The campaign has made hundreds of people homeless. In a similar time frame, Israeli forces have flattened areas in the city’s Zeitoun, Tuffah, Shejaiya and Sheikh al-Radwan neighborhoods, among others, residents told Reuters. The damage since August to scores of buildings in Sheikh al-Radwan was visible in satellite imagery reviewed by the news agency. (Read More)
