NYT: ‘Israel’ Leveling Gaza City, Block by Block

By Staff, Agencies

"Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] are demolishing Gaza City block by block, as part of their new ground offensive into what once was the largest urban center in the territory, The New York Times reported.

The widespread demolitions now being seen in Gaza City were not a feature of earlier operations there, even though "Israel's" two-year war on the Strip has otherwise leveled extensive areas across the territory, from the southern city of Rafah to the northern town of Beit Hanoun.

Despite parts of the city remaining intact, satellite imagery reveals that advancing IOF are destroying entire sections of Gaza City, specifically the al-Zaytoun neighborhood and an area near Sheikh Radwan, the latter seeing dozens of structures demolished this month.

Prior to the current offensive, while most buildings in Gaza City had been damaged and many were uninhabitable, they remained largely standing, particularly in the central part of town.

Earlier this summer, "Israel" destroyed much of eastern Gaza City. By August 8, it approved plans to invade, though much of the area had already been leveled.

Though not yet fully taking over the city, the IOF continued destroying its edges, turning al-Zaytoun into a wasteland and ordering remaining residents to flee.

Since the IOF launched the Gaza City invasion, they’ve destroyed a large northern area. Satellite images verified by The New York Times show IOF using buildings as bases, then blowing them up before moving forward.

The IOF has continued to strike hundreds of targets in Gaza City with airstrikes since mid-September, in addition to its ongoing demolition operations.

A high-resolution satellite image from September 18 showed fewer tents than before "Israel's" Gaza City offensive began, but hundreds still remained—many within a mile of "Israeli" military vehicles.

In August, "Israeli" so-called Security Minister Yisrael Katz warned that Gaza City would face the same destruction as Rafah and Beit Hanoun unless Hamas surrendered and freed the remaining captives.

During a television interview on Channel 14, Eli Cohen, another minister in the high-level security cabinet, echoed the threat by stating that Gaza City itself should be exactly like Rafah, which he said had been turned into a city of ruins.