Israeli airstrikes destroyed the al-Ghafari tower in Gaza City on September 15th, with explosions heard in central Israel, including Tel Aviv, between 10:18 PM and 10:32 PM UTC. Simultaneously, President Donald Trump reiterated his claims of success in Middle East peace efforts, stating, "I do a great job for peace in the Middle East. I have to get a lot of awards for it." The airstrikes on Gaza City, including the destruction of the al-Ghafari tower, were reported by AFP and described as causing huge explosions heard in the central Gaza Strip and as far as Tel Aviv. These actions occurred as President Trump made his pronouncements, continuing his earlier statements from the day regarding his role in Middle East peace. A UN rights expert reiterated on Monday that Israel was committing "genocide" in Gaza and criticized the "complicity" of other countries. This statement comes amidst ongoing military operations and diplomatic claims concerning the region. Previous reports from the window of 10:03 PM to 10:17 PM UTC detailed "strong and significant" attacks in Gaza City by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). These operations occurred as President Trump asserted at approximately 10:00 PM UTC that he was "doing a great job for peace in the Middle East" and stated that "Netanyahu will no longer attack Qatar." Families of hostages were reportedly heading to the residence of Israeli President Isaac "Izzy" Herzog in Jerusalem due to concerns arising from the start of the attack in Gaza and the risk to captives. Axios had reported that Israel had launched an offensive to occupy Gaza City earlier in the window of 9:48 PM to 10:02 PM UTC. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously characterized Hamas as "agents of terror and barbarism," stating that peace is unattainable while the group exists and holds 48 hostages, utilizing civilians as human shields. Previous reports also detailed user commentary criticizing President Trump's "idle threats to Hamas" and alluding to a potential elimination of a chairman of negotiations as part of Trump's "last offer."
