Netanyahu declares IAF has destroyed 50 Gaza high-rises housing Hamas

Netanyahu said the strikes of the past 48 hours were part of a wider plan to dismantle Hamas’s last stronghold in Gaza City. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel’s campaign in Gaza intensified Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that 50 high-rise “terror towers” had already been demolished, and warned the bombardment was only the prelude to a full-scale ground assault.

Netanyahu, after touring the Air Force command bunker, said the strikes of the past 48 hours were part of a wider plan to dismantle Hamas’s last stronghold in Gaza City.

“This is just the opening act,” he said, adding that ground forces were massing inside the city for a broader maneuver. He told residents still in the area to leave immediately, saying, “Listen to me carefully — you have been warned, leave now.”

Israeli forces targeted the al-Ruwaia tower later in the day, saying Hamas had turned the building into a hub for explosives, surveillance, and operational planning.

The army reported that terrorists had used it repeatedly during the conflict.

Palestinian media described the bombardment across the city as creating a “fire belt,” with one apartment block struck after its residents were ordered to evacuate.

In Arabic-language announcements, IDF spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee urged civilians to evacuate blocks 783–786 and nearby camps, warning of imminent strikes around Gamal Abdel Nasser Street.

He directed civilians toward Khan Younis, designated as a humanitarian zone.

Defense Minister Israel Katz also foreshadowed heavier attacks.

Writing on X, he warned Hamas to release the hostages and surrender. “Today a mighty hurricane will strike over Gaza City and the rooftops of the terror towers will shake,” Katz said.

He added that the army would expand its maneuver to bring Gaza “to a decisive defeat.”