Israel levels Gaza City high-rise after issuing evacuation order

The Israeli military on Sunday issued a fresh evacuation order for civilians in Gaza City ahead of the destruction of another high-rise building.

The military urged residents in a section of the Rimal neighbourhood and the port area to move immediately to the Al-Mawasi "humanitarian zone" further south.

Shortly after the warning, the military struck the al-Kawthar residential tower, saying Hamas militants had installed intelligence-gathering equipment and set up observation posts there to monitor Israeli troop positions and prepare attacks. The claims could not be independently verified.

Video footage showed the building being hit and collapsing. Israel has flattened dozens of high-rises in Gaza City, alleging that the residences were being used by the Palestinian militant group.

Israel announced in August that its forces would seek to capture Gaza City to dismantle Hamas units believed to be based there.

Around 280,000 people have fled Gaza City, which before the offensive had a population of roughly 1 million, Israeli media reported, citing military sources. The Hamas-run media office in Gaza put the number of people who have fled even higher, at about 350,000.

Despite the danger to their lives, many do not want to move to designated safe zones, as Israel has attacked such areas in the past.

The Gaza war was triggered by the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 abducted to Gaza. Israel says 48 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

The Hamas-run health authority in Gaza says more than 64,800 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war began.

The tally does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, but the figures are seen as credible by the United Nations.

Large parts of the densely populated coastal territory have been destroyed by Israeli bombardments. Critics accuse the Israel of war crimes and, in some cases – including Spain's government – of genocide. Israel insists it is exercising its right to self-defence.