Israel destroyed another high-rise tower in Gaza City on Saturday, killing at least 56 Palestinians in a new wave of strikes, including people waiting for aid, according to Gaza officials.
The 15-story Sousi Tower was reduced to rubble after residents said they were given just 20 minutes to evacuate. It was the second tower flattened in as many days, following the strike on Mushtaha Tower on Friday.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed, without providing evidence, that Hamas was using the buildings for military purposes. Hamas dismissed the allegations as “baseless lies” and insisted the towers were purely residential.
Aida Abu Kas, who lived in Sousi Tower, described the chaos when the order came to leave. “Suddenly, we were sitting at home and people started shouting,” she told the Associated Press. “We went out and didn’t know what to do.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz posted a video of the tower collapsing in a cloud of smoke, writing: “We continue.”
Civil defense officials said Saturday’s strikes killed at least 56 people across Gaza, including 19 near an aid distribution site in the north. Israel has not confirmed the casualties but said it would look into reports if provided with details.
The military also dropped thousands of leaflets over western Gaza City, ordering civilians to evacuate to al-Mawasi in the south, which it has designated a humanitarian zone. But residents said moving offered little safety.
“Everywhere in Gaza there are bombings and deaths,” said Abdel Nasser Mushtaha, 48. His daughter Samia added: “Wherever we go, death pursues us, whether by bombing or hunger.”
Al-Mawasi itself has been hit repeatedly. Last week, an Israeli strike killed at least nine people there, including five children waiting for water.
The war has raged for nearly two years, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting more than 63,000 Palestinians killed, most of them civilians. The true toll is thought to be higher, with thousands buried under rubble or dead from famine and disease caused by the blockade.
Anger is also growing inside Israel. Thousands protested in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Saturday, demanding a ceasefire and a deal to free hostages held by Hamas. In Tel Aviv, demonstrators held a massive banner reading: “President Trump, save the hostages now!”
On Friday, Trump said the US was in “very deep negotiation with Hamas” over the captives. Hamas previously agreed to a temporary truce with staggered hostage releases, but Israel has insisted on tougher conditions, including the full release of hostages, disarmament, and Hamas giving up control of Gaza.
Meanwhile, the new head of US Central Command, Adm Brad Cooper, visited Israel on Saturday in his first trip since taking charge last month.
