Israeli minister boasts of destroying 25 Gaza towers, threatens to turn the enclave into “ruins”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the army had destroyed 25 residential towers in Gaza City since the start of its ground operations, claiming they were “terror-related buildings”. He warned that the Gaza Strip “will be ruined and turned into rubble” if Hamas does not release the captives and give up its weapons.

In a post on X, Katz wrote: “With the start of the ground manoeuvre and the handover of command to field commanders, 25 terror towers have been destroyed. A large and important number, aimed at removing any sniper threats to our forces. Terrorists were killed, and infrastructure was demolished. Gaza residents have been told to move south for their protection.”

He added: “If Hamas does not release the hostages and abandons its weapons, Gaza will be devastated and turn into a memorial for the killers and rapists of Hamas,” as he put it.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army continued its heavy bombardment of Gaza City and surrounding areas on Wednesday. It also announced the opening of a “temporary passage” via Salah al-Din Street for residents to head south, starting from Wednesday noon until Friday noon, claiming it was to “facilitate movement to humanitarian areas”.

READ: Israeli army bombs another high-rise building in Gaza City amid occupation push