TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli military urged a full evacuation of Gaza City on Tuesday morning, ahead of its planned expanded military operation in the city in northern Gaza.
This is the first warning for a full evacuation of the city in the current round of fighting.
Also on Tuesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel had demolished 30 high-rise buildings in Gaza, which it accused Hamas of using for military infrastructure.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel plans
to destroy at least 50 “towers of terror” that he said are used by Hamas.
Over the past days, Israel has destroyed multiple high-rise buildings in Gaza City, warning that Hamas has installed surveillance infrastructure in them.
The demolitions are part of Israel ramping up its offensive to take control of what it portrays as Hamas’ last remaining stronghold, urging Palestinians to flee parts of Gaza City for a designated humanitarian zone in the territory’s south.
There are around 1 million Palestinians in the area of Gaza City, though prior to this warning just a small fraction have evacuated.
