IDF bombs 14 story Hamas Tower in Gaza City | WATCH

Israeli warplanes demolished a prominent high-rise tower in western Gaza City on Friday, part of a broadening military push into the urban core.

The Mushtaha Tower, a 14-story building, was reduced to rubble in a series of airstrikes around midday. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) described the building as a Hamas operational hub, including underground facilities, and said it issued evacuation warnings to minimize civilian harm. Videos circulating on social media showed missiles striking the tower, causing it to implode in a cloud of dust and debris, forcing nearby tent encampments of displaced families to flee once again.

The strike came as Israeli forces intensified their advance into Gaza City, with the military claiming control over about 40% of the area and signaling plans to expand operations in the coming days. Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed a sharp escalation, stating that Israel was "opening the gates of hell" in Gaza to dismantle Hamas infrastructure. The IDF emphasized that it would target multi-story buildings used by terrorists, employing precision strikes and prior warnings to reduce risks to civilians, while accusing Hamas of embedding military assets in populated areas.

Palestinian officials and residents accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilian structures. No immediate casualties were reported from the Mushtaha strike, but the demolition left hundreds homeless, adding to the nearly one million people still trapped in Gaza City with nowhere safe to go. "It's a scene beyond description, where places turn into rubble and people become numbers," wrote Gaza-based biomedical engineer Mahmoud Massri on the social-media platform X, sharing before-and-after images of the tower.

The attack sparked widespread outrage online, with videos of the collapse viewed thousands of times and shared by journalists, activists and news outlets.

This demolition marks a new phase in Israel's campaign, the first formal evacuation notices issued for a Gaza City neighborhood since the conflict's escalation. Residents reported intensified strikes overnight, with some 46 Palestinians killed across the Gaza Strip in recent days. The United Nations human-rights office expressed alarm over the surge in violence, noting extensive damage and further displacement.

Israeli officials rejected calls for restraint, including from hostage families who fear the offensive endangers captives held by Hamas. The military's push into densely populated areas like Sheikh Radwan has forced more evacuations, with soldiers and tanks advancing.

Inside Gaza’s Towers: Hamas’ Sniper Nests, Anti-Tank Traps, and Tunnel Exits

The IDF says new intelligence shows Hamas has embedded surveillance systems, cameras, sniper positions and anti-tank firing points inside residential buildings, some converted into observation war rooms and command hubs. Underground tunnels run beneath and around these sites to enable ambushes and rapid escape for terrorist commanders. According to IDF statements, these setups include booby-trapped structures rigged to detonate near troops, all embedded in high-rise buildings in dense civilian areas, which the military labels a war crime and violation of international law. The army has released maps identifying such sites in Gaza City, justifying targeted strikes with evacuation warnings, precision airstrikes, real-time surveillance, and intelligence from agencies like Shin Bet.

Hamas has denied these allegations, calling them "flimsy pretexts and blatant lies." Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, stated that the claims are excuses to justify destroying residential towers and Gaza City.

The broader offensive follows months of deadlock in ceasefire talks, with Hamas signaling readiness for a deal (on their terms, of course) but Israel dismissing it as "spin." As strikes flatten landmarks like the Mushtaha Tower, previously damaged but still standing, analysts warn of deepening instability, with no end in sight.

Veteran journalist and analyst Amit Segal explained: The IDF has begun its assault on the area of Gaza City that matters most to Hamas: the city center. Indeed, Hamas has asked neighbouring countries to increase pressure on Israel, so it doesn't go ahead with its Gaza City operation. But after months of waiting for Hamas to stop dilly dallying and give back the hostages, Israel has had more than enough of waiting. And with the military now targeting the area of Gaza City that truly matters to Hamas, the terror group may be forced to decide: does it cave to Israel’s demands at the negotiating table, or does it fight to its death, and that of Gazan civilians?