Israel bombs high-rise towers as brutal Gaza City assault intensifies
The ‘gates of hell are opening’ in Gaza, says Israeli defence minister as attacks cause panic and fear among civilians.
Israel’s forces have destroyed a high-rise tower in a densely populated part of Gaza City and have warned of further attacks to multi-storey buildings as it intensifies its campaign to seize control of the capital.
On Friday, the Israeli military ordered people in Mushtaha Tower, a 12-storey building located on the western side of Gaza City and surrounded by hundreds of makeshift tents, to evacuate, and later struck the building, claiming it was “Hamas infrastructure” and was used to plan and carry out operations against Israeli forces.
Reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said the building was one of the biggest high-rises in the heart of Gaza City.
“Israeli forces hit it with two air strikes – the first was a warning and then it was hit again with another F-16 strike,” she said.
The management of the Mushtaha Tower has denied Israeli claims that the high-rise was being used by Hamas fighters, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. The building’s management said the site was only accessible to displaced people.
Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, also reporting from Deir el-Balah, said a number of civilians were wounded in the Israeli attack on the 12-storey tower and were transported to al-Shifa Hospital to receive emergency treatment.
“The shock wave of the attack spread over the entire area, triggering chaos. A number of makeshift tents have been affected by the attack, which signals a new phase of the Israeli military campaign,” he said.
‘Gates of hell are opening’
Prior to the attack on the tower, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said on X that Israel’s military activity in Gaza City is intensifying. He said the “gates of hell are opening now” in Gaza and warned that they will not be closed until Hamas “accepts Israel’s conditions for ending the war – led by the release of all the hostages and disarmament”.
Original article (with video)
Photo: A man runs as smoke rises after a building is hit by an Israeli air strike, in Gaza City on Friday, 5 September 2025. Source: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters.
