The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed striking two high-rise towers in Gaza City approximately 15 minutes ago, following prior evacuation warnings for Palestinian civilians in the affected areas. The military stated that Hamas had installed surveillance equipment and observation posts in the Mahna Tower and a building on the Islamic University campus to monitor IDF troop movements and facilitate attacks. According to the IDF, Hamas operatives were preparing to execute attacks against IDF troops situated near one of the struck buildings. Media reports from Gaza indicated that an Israeli Air Force strike destroyed a building at the Islamic University, which had been housing displaced Palestinians. The IDF had issued an evacuation warning for this building prior to the strike, asserting its use by Hamas. These strikes follow earlier IDF evacuation warnings issued for Gaza City's Tel Alhah neighborhood at approximately 10:40 AM UTC on September 14th, and subsequent warnings for the Gaza Port and Al-Remal areas. These actions are part of ongoing military operations in Gaza, during which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem between 11:31 AM and 12:01 PM UTC on the same day. The IDF also estimated that over 300,000 Palestinians had evacuated Gaza City, with tens of thousands leaving in the past day.
