Israel's annihilation of Gaza City ahead of occupation plans

Following annoucement by the Israeli cabinet of a plan to occupy Gaza City, Israel started a campaign of violent bombing and shelling of Gaza City around 10 pm on August 10, 2025.

While the bombing covered all of areas of the governorate, ground reports indicated more intensity at the eastern areas, namely Shujaiya, Tuffah, Zaytoun.

Shortly after the start of the bombardment, Israel perpetrated a targeted assassination of renowned journalist Anas Al-Sharif along with the rest of Al-Jazeera crew in Gaza City.

As of August 14, the bombardment and shelling destroyed 320 buildings in Al-Zaytoun neighborhood alone, leading to even more displacement in the governorate that was already sheltering over half of the displaced Gaza population.

• Local journalists reported that Israel employed remotely-operated tanks laden with explosives to destroy homes around the Ali Mosque and the Al-Maslaba area, causing massive explosions of buildings that reverberate throughout the length of the Gaza Strip.
• In addition, Israeli has been carrying out excavation and bulldozing work in Al-Zaytoun neighborhood the area starting from the Al-Baraasi area extending to the vicinity of the Hassan al-Banna Mosque, Ali Mosque, and Al-Musallaba area.
• Airstrikes targeted houses and residential buildings in Al-Sabra and Al-Zaytoun neighborhoods, focusing on tall buildings.

On August 14, the IDF dropped leaflets on the Al-Sabra neighborhood ordering all people to displace to Al-Mawasi.

On August 16, after an intense week of bombardment, the IDF announced launching an offensive on the area carried out by the 99th Division with the Nahal Infantry Brigade and 7th Armored Brigade.

The IDF also announced allowing the entry of tents to southern Gaza in a bid to encourage the ethnic cleansing of northern Gaza.

On the night of August 18, Israeli troops advanced in Al-Sabra neighborhood under a barrage of artillery, gunfire and airstrikes. This led to further displacement multiple people being killed including

1. Islam Al-Koumi (journalist)
2. Islam Al-Koumi's son
3. Maryam Al-Ghazi
4. Hala Nabil Abu Ajwa
5. Adam Al-Madhoun

On August 19, Israel's assault extended north to Jabalia Al-Nazla and Jabalia al-Balad where families remained besieged and unable to move out of fear of the intense bombing and shelling. The extension allowed the IDF to exert more "pressure" on civilians in Gaza City from the north and south as troops continued advancing and being only a few kilometeres apart from the center of Gaza City.

On August 21, the IDF issued evacuation orders to hospitals in Gaza City, ordering the staff to transfer to the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis, which Israel carpet bombed two months prior. The Director General of the Ministry of Health publicly denounced and challenged the threats: "* What is being proposed is not merely a request to evacuate hospitals, but rather a field execution order against patients and the wounded who cannot be transferred outside Gaza City amid the collapse of the healthcare system and a hospital bed occupancy rate of 300%. We will not kill our patients and wounded, nor will we accept depriving more than one million people of their right to treatment. We hold the international community and UN institutions fully responsible for protecting patients and ensuring the continuation of medical services as an inherent human right.*"

The eve of August 24 was particularly violent as, in addition to airstrikes and artillery shelling, a series of four detonations at midnight purported to utilize explosive armored vehicles shook the Gaza Strip with reverberations felt in Central Gaza and Khan Younis. Some of the detonations were reportedly carried out between Jabalia camp and Jabalia al-Balad in North Gaza. In the immediate aftermath, journalists and civilians on the ground reported a strong, foul odor spreading across the northern aeas of Gaza City, namely Sheikh Radwan area, Jabalia al-Nazla, and the al-Jalaa roundabout. The odors were causing residents to experiencie a burning sensation in the nose and difficulty breathing. Medical sources reported a significant increase in patients with chest and respiratory system issues in the aftermath.

At least 11 houses were struck in Jabalia al-Nazla.

The violent nightly bombing became a daiy occurence. In addition, footage shot by locals indicated that the IDF intensified the use of drones to drop explosive charges on homes and schools, in a bid to terrorize the population and force their displacement.

On August 26, people in Jabalia Al-Nazla found the remains of an Israeli APC similar to those used previously in Rafah and the North Gaza invasion as explosive-laden tanks. This led further credence to locals' reports of those weapons being employed in the large scale detonations in Gaza City and the areas at its northern edge.

By the end of August, most of the areas at the northern edge of Gaza City (Jabalia al-Nazla, Jabalia al-Balad, Saftawi, Abu Iskandar) were ethnically cleansed due to the constant shelling and drone terror. Locals reported that the assault was relentless that people were killed and maimed even during their displacement, as evidenced by footage.

The displacement from Jabalia al-Balad, Jabalia al-Nazla, and the Saftawi areas of North Gaza led to the closure of the main source of drinking water (Yassin Company – ETA) for one milliong people in northern Gaza.

On September 2, 2025, around 12:30pm the IDF issued a forced displacement order to all 1 million people displaced in Gaza City to go to the "humanitarian zone" of Al-Mawasi. Less than an 10 minutes later, the IDF struck a tent in Al-Mawasi killing at least 5 children.

As of September 3, 2025, over 1,100 Palestinians were killed and 6,008 injured in this Israeli onslaught.

September 5, 2025: Starting midnight on September 5, there was a marked escalation of Israel's massacres of families in their apartments, homes and tents. At least 19 Palestinians were killed in 9 airstrikes predawn.

On the morning of the same day, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz announced opening the "Gates of Hell" on Gaza City, forcing the displacement of people and initiating a campaign of bombardment and demolition of high-rise residential buildings, starting by the Mushtaha Tower in western Gaza City.

Most of these high-rise buildings were surrounded by displacement camps and thus densely populated. Israel's airstrikes destroyed not only the buildings themselves, but tents and the small communities that had formed there, exacerbating conditions to push the displaced populatyion to be further displaced.

The tower was completely destroyed by 2 airstrikes that targeted its foundations. Hours later, the IDF ordered the evacuation of the Makka Tower, a building sheltering dozens of families in its 60 plus apartments.

September 6: The IDF dropped leaflets and officially announced on social media forced displacement orders for all people in Gaza City to move south to Al-Mawasi, describing it as a "humanitarian zone".

Moments later, the IDF order the evacuation of the Roya and Al-Sousi Tower residential buildings. The latter was previously bombed and was surrounded by a large number of tents for displaced families.

September 7: The Government Media office announced that around 30,000 Palestinians were forcibly dsplaced from Gaza City as a result of the Israeli assault. However, over 12,000 displaced had returned to northern Gaza as they did not find space and basic necessities in Al-Mawasi and central Gaza.

The IDF continued its campaign to push displacement through bombing notably by ordering an immediate evacuation of shelters at and around Al-Jazeera Sports Club. The latter housed displacement camps due to its location between Al-Amal Camp 1, Al-Amal Camp 2, Al-Mustaqbal Shelter Center, Al-Israa Camp, and Al-Yarmouk Camp. In addition to hundreds of tents in the surrounding streets, and a large number of homes that sheltered a significant number of displaced people.

Moments later, Israel bombed and destroyed Al-Roya residential building.

September 8: Violent detonations resumed since midnight coupled with a new pattern of attacks: locals reported drones dropping explosive charges on top of houses then detonating them simultaneously, resulting large scaleexplosions sweeping areas of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood.

Israel's Defense Minister took to social media again boasting of launching a "hurricane that will strike the skies of Gaza [City]"

The IDF threatened and bombed Al-Roya Commercial Tower in western Gaza City, which previously housed several press and human rights institutions including the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Zaman Radio, and the National News Agency.

Around 10 pm, Israel bombed and destroyed Al-Salam Tower near the Municipality Park.

Within 3 days, Israel had destroyed 50 towers in Gaza City, including 5 major ones that had over 209 apartments and sheltered over 4,000 people now homeless.

September 9: The IDF re-issued announcement ordering displacement of all people in Gaza City to Al-Mawasi. The orders led to protest by the local population refusing to be displaced any further amid a complete lack of safety assurances elsewhere in the Strip.

Israeli aristrikes on residential buildings continued with a focus on homes in the northwestern areas of the governorate. The airstrikes targeted the following buildings: Al-Sa'ati Tower, Al-Attar, Al-Shandaghli, Abu Al-Hasin, Al-Jawhara, Al-Jaleel, and Meema residential buildings.

September 10: The IDF issued an evacuation order for Harmoony Tower, mistakenly identified by the IDF as Tayiba Tower 2, and completely destroyed it hours later.

September 11: Morning airstrikes focused on houses in Al-Shati camp in western Gaza City including those of the following families: Jadallah, Sammour, Basal, Al-Souri, Al-Hajj Muhammad, Abu Ajwa, Al-Mashharawi, Hammouda, Taha, Abu al-Kheir, Matariya, Al-Mana'a, Al-Jamal.

In the evening, the IDF ordered international institutions to evacuate their headquarters and offices in Gaza City. Among them are the UNRWA clinic in Al-Shati and Al-Nasr, where displaced people are sheltering.

September 12: Israel's onslaught on Al-Shati camp continued in the early morning starting with an airstrike on the Abu Asi school which sheltered hundreds of displaced Palestinians.

The attacks continued to target over a dozen homes and shelters across central and western Gaza City including the houses of the Al-Waha, Mohanna, Abu Dan, Balaha Lubbad, Barakat, Issa, Abu Rasas, Helou, and Abdul-Latif families, in addition to the prayer hall of the White Mosque and the Al-Quds Bank building.

Atr night, Israel ordered the evacuation of areas where displaced people were sheltering in Al-Rimal neighborhood.

September 13: The IDF ordered the evacuation of several schools and shelters and bombed them including Al-Noor Tower and 3 schools: Al-Sitta Soura, Shuhaibar and Al-Alya.

In the evening, Israel perpetrated strikes on displaced people in at least three locations in western Gaza City notably with an airstrike on dispalcement tents at the Palestine Stadium.

September 14: At dawn, Al-Shifa hospital came under intense Israeli gunfire which preceded an airstrike on a car in the vicinity.

The IDF's assault focused on the western part of Gaza City, specially the Rimal neighborhood. The IDF bombed and destroyed several residential buildings and the tents around them including the towers Al-Kawthar, Muhanna and Al-Jundi Al-Majhoul (the Unknown Soldier) after ordering their evacuation.

The IDF also ordered the evacuation of the female student affairs building for at the Islamic University of Gaza ahead of bombing it with three bombs. As the bombing seemed to have stopped, people returned to retrieve their belongings, only for Israel to bomb them again causing a large massacre. Israel bombed the university a third time around 5:45 pm.

Close to midnight, a series of Israeli strikes targeted displacement tents and family homes killing around 20 people from 3 families.

September 15: Continuing the focus on the Rimal neighborhood, the IDF bombed and destroyed Al-Ghifari Tower after ordering its evacuation. Al-Ghifari Tower was one of Gaza City's tallest buildings which housed international and press institutions.

September 16: Israel officially announced launching a ground invasion to occupy Gaza City. The announcement was preceded by an exceptionally violent night of bombardment across the governorate coupled with intense gunfire from helicopters.

The night bombardments massacred around 70 people from 3 families spread between the Sheikh Radwan, Daraj and Sabra neighborhoods, spurring a more displacement.

In addition, Israel bombed a dozen houses, Al-Aybaki mosque and struck the upper floor of the Rantisi children's hospital.

September 17: Israel's strikes targetred multiple family homes across Gaza City.

Israeli media released footage showing Israeli tanks reached Al Jalaa round about and entered Al Jalaa St. coming from Al Saftwai Street to the north. Thus the ground invasion reached the Sheikh Radwan quarter.

September 18: The Gaza Government Media office published updated figures about the scale of massacres since Israel launched its onslaught on Gaza City. The death toll reached 3,542 martyrs acrosss the Gaza Strip, 56% of which in northern Gaza and 44% in the central and southern areas that Israel had been insisting are safe areas for people to go to.

• North Gaza and Gaza City: 1,984 killed
• Central and southern Gaza: 1,558 killed

September 22: Israel's continued assault on Gaza City rendered Al-Rantisi hospital and the Eye hospital our of service. Later in the evening, the IDF ordered the evacuation of the Jordanian field hospital in Tal al-Hawa. As such, the Jordanian Amer Forces decided to relocate the field hospital to Khan Younis.

Over the following week, Israel's assault continued to spread across the western (Al-Shati and Rimal neighborhoods) and southern (Tal al-Hawa and Al-Sabra) areas of Gaza City where displaced families were sheltering. This included bombing of shelters, schools, and residential blocks, including through the use of explosive-laden armored vehicles.

Local reports also indicated that the IDF had been trying to recruit families as collaborators to form militias in exchange for allowing them to remain in alleged safety along with their families in Gaza City. Families who refused were subsequently massacred, including the Doghmosh and Bikr families.

September 26: The IDF ordered the evacuation and destroyed the Italian Tower (in Al-Nasr neighborhood) and the Fahmi al-Jarjawi school (in Al-Daraj neighborhood).

September 28: The IDF re-issued evacuation orders and subsequently bombed and destroyed the Makka residential tower. The tower and its surrounding were already deserted weeks prior following an IDF threat on September 5.

During the day, the IDF ordered the evacuation and bombed several family houses in Al-Daraj neighborhood including those of the Qalaja, Shanqar, Al-Asshi, Al-Khashef, Zyara families, in addition to houses in the vicinity of Al-Asshi carpentry.

Several journalists documented Israeli tanks advancing further in inhabited areas of Al-Nasr Street, closer to the Al-Helou International Hospital, which it shelled twice with artillery. Patients and their companions to flee and cutting its access to the internet.

September 29: Israel continued bombing houses in western Gaza City, destroying at least five family houses: Al-Qishawi, Al-Madhoun, Saqallah, Abu Hasira, Al-Masry.

In the course of the assault, Israel had perpetrated a double tap strike on paramedics at the Abu Hasira area, injuring a number of them.

Israel also bombed a number of houses on Al-Thalathini Street in the Sabra neighborhood southern Gaza City, destroying three houses of Al-Khour family, and killing at least three family members: Fouad, Dalia, and a child.

October 1: The IDF had announced early morning that Al-Rashid Street would be closed off, however locals reported no change to the flow of displaced people on the street until the evening.

Around 2:45 pm, an Israeli drone had struck people on the street killing a mother and her two children during displacement:

• Karima Ibrahim Ahmad Mutawaq (35 y/o)
• Yousef Jihad Yousef Asaliya (10 y/o)
• Razan Jihad Yousef Asaliya (5 months old infant)

Israeli bombardment of houses and residential buildings continued across western and southern areas of Gaza City, namely Al-Nasr, Al-Shati, Al-Sabra enighborhoods. Similalry, the IDF continued deploying and detonating explosive-laden M113 armored vehicles.

October 3: The IDF continued bombing houses and tents in the western areas of the governorate.

Close to midnight, after ordering its immediate evacuation, the IDF bombed a block consisting of several schools and shelters including the Al-Noor Center for the Blind, south of Al-Jameat Street western Gaza City. This pushed hundreds more families to be displaced in the dead of night with no shelter.

October 4: Around midnight, US President Donald Trump had ordered Israel to cease bombing Gaza following a positive response from Palestinian factions to his ceasefire deal. However, Israel intensified its airstrikes on Gaza City immediately after his statement. Local sources documented several violent airstrikes throughout the night and continuing over the next day.

In fact, Israel had ordered an immediate evacuation of a block in western Gaza City consisting of several UNRWA schools and facilities—including the Al-Noor Center for the Blind and the Ahmed Shawqi, Mustafa Hafez, and Rimal Elementary schools before bombing it. This forced hundreds of already dispalced Palestinians to be further displaced and without shelter.

Throughout the day, Israel had perpetrated massacres of several families including the Rafati, Al-Madloum, and Abdl-al-Aal families in the Tufffah neighborhood. The IDF also killed people on Al-Nasr Street after seemingly withdrawing from the area. At least 30 people were killed in Gaza City by the evening.

Local sources reported that throughout the following days the rate of massacres had reduced whereas demolitions of buildings continued. This was particularly noticeable in the Sabra neighborhood where residents managed to documented the extensive destruction of some residential areas, in addition to the remains of M113 APCs left behind by the IDF.

October 9: Israel continued carrying out arstrikes across all areas of Gaza City throughout the day. Around 8 pm, Israel perpetrated its last major massacre before the ceasefire took effect by bombing the Ghabboun family house in the Sabra neighborhood where about 40 people were sheltering.

Prior to its withdrawal from Gaza City, IDF troops torched homes and before withdrawing from Gaza City as part of the ceasefire agreement.