Israeli air raids on Gaza City left more than 50 Palestinians dead on Friday night, including at least seven children, in one of the deadliest assaults on the enclave in recent weeks. The strikes continued into the early hours of Saturday, devastating residential neighborhoods and leaving families trapped under rubble.
Among the targets was the Mushtaha Tower, a 12-storey high-rise in a densely populated district of Gaza City. The building, surrounded by hundreds of makeshift tents sheltering displaced families, was reduced to rubble.
Analysts and rights groups say the attack underscores what they describe as Israel’s policy of collective punishment against Palestinians.
“It is very clear that Israel is hell-bent on causing maximal destruction and maximal collective punishment and has made no secret of that,” said Tahani Mustafa, a senior analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations, in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Mustafa added that the latest operation “does not reflect a disciplined military strategy” but rather an indiscriminate assault on civilians.
The management of the Mushtaha Tower has also rejected Israeli claims that the building was being used by Hamas fighters.
The overnight bombardment comes as Gaza remains under siege, with basic services collapsing, food and medicine running out, and displaced residents facing worsening humanitarian conditions.
Source – My News Ghana
