Israeli forces have intensified their military campaign in Gaza City, destroying dozens of buildings and expanding control over urban areas, amid severe humanitarian warnings. Satellite images confirm widespread devastation in key neighborhoods, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) push forward with their offensive.
The IDF announced that it now controls 40% of Gaza City, following weeks of intense airstrikes and controlled demolitions. This escalation came after ceasefire negotiations with Hamas collapsed in July, leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order a full seizure of the strip. The United Nations has repeatedly warned that such an offensive could be “beyond catastrophic” for the civilian population, with over 1.9 million people displaced.
Satellite analysis by BBC Verify reveals that entire neighborhoods have been flattened. In Sheikh Radwan, located near the city center, numerous buildings have been obliterated, with fresh tracks from IDF armored vehicles visible in areas once densely populated. Similar destruction is evident in Zeitoun, where armoured clusters were observed before and after demolitions, indicating rapid military advancement.
In Zeitoun, not only buildings but also tent encampments for displaced Palestinians have disappeared over the past month. These tents had provided shelter for those forced from their homes, but now even those temporary structures are gone. High-rise buildings surrounding these areas have also been targeted and destroyed, leaving little refuge for civilians caught in the conflict.
The Tuffah neighborhood has seen significant damage, with a school among the structures leveled. On a recent Thursday, Israeli strikes there killed at least eight people, according to local authorities reported by the Hamas-run health ministry. The IDF employs controlled explosions, similar to tactics used in southern Gaza, claiming to target Hamas infrastructure embedded in civilian buildings, though critics argue this causes excessive harm.
Casualties are mounting across the strip, with dozens reported killed in recent attacks. Civil defense teams are overwhelmed, struggling to rescue people under continuous bombardment. The conflict began with Hamas’s October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages, leading to Israeli military action that has resulted in over 64,000 Palestinian deaths, per Gaza officials.
The demolition in Jabalia, geolocated by BBC Verify, showed dozens of high-rises destroyed in a single event, mirroring patterns in Rafah and Khan Younis. An IDF spokesperson stated that neighborhoods are converted into combat complexes for ambushes and weapon storage, but provided no evidence for specific claims. This approach has drawn international criticism for its impact on non-combatants.
International calls for de-escalation persist, but with no ceasefire in sight, the offensive continues. Hamas has expressed willingness to negotiate a truce involving hostage releases, but Israel demands the immediate return of all captives. The situation remains volatile, with further destruction and loss of life anticipated as military operations press on.