Israel demolishes over 1,500 homes in Gaza City's Al Zeitoun neighborhood

GAZA/ISTANBUL

Israel has demolished more than 1,500 homes in the Al Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City since launching a ground operation earlier this month, said the Palestinian Civil Defense.

Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for the agency, said no buildings remain standing in the southern part of the neighborhood following Israel's approval around the beginning of the month of its plan to occupy Gaza.

The Israeli army has employed construction machinery alongside bomb-laden robots, detonating seven sites daily while using quadcopter drones to drop explosives on house rooftops, Bassal said.

The weapons have intensified the scale of destruction in the area, he added.

The systematic demolition has forced 80% of Al Zeitoun’s residents to migrate to western or northern areas of Gaza City, said Bassal.

Israel's Security Cabinet approved a plan on Aug. 8 to occupy Gaza City. The plan involves displacing approximately one million Palestinians southward, surrounding the city and occupying it after intense attacks.

Israel has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.