DaysofPal – Once known for its high-rise towers rising from the coastline, Gaza City is being stripped of its skyline. On Friday, Israeli warplanes bombed the Mushtaha Tower near Ansar Junction, a building that had sheltered thousands of displaced families and stood as one of the few surviving symbols of resilience in the city. Within minutes, it was reduced to rubble.
The tower’s administration rejected Israeli claims that it contained Hamas infrastructure, insisting it was inhabited only by civilians.
“Dozens of families were inside the building at the moment of receiving the evacuation order,” said resident Khalil Obeid, who fled barefoot with his children. “Everything fell apart with the collapse of the tower.”
Hours later, another evacuation order forced residents of the Makkah Tower to flee. Families rushed into the streets carrying children, documents, and a handful of belongings.
A woman displaced from Shujaiya explained, “When we sought refuge in the tower, we felt temporary stability. Even the children began to feel at home again. The occupation deprived us of that sense of security.”
Systematic Destruction of Gaza’s Landmarks
Human rights organizations say Israel’s attacks on Gaza’s high-rises are part of a broader campaign of erasure. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have destroyed dozens of towers and hundreds of homes in Gaza City, with more than 700 houses demolished since mid-August alone.
The targeting of towers is not new. During the 2014 war, Israel leveled 11 prominent buildings, including Al-Basha and Al-Dhafar. In 2021, it struck Al-Shorouq, Al-Jawhara, and Al-Jalaa towers, the latter housing international media offices. Analysts argue these are not isolated military actions but deliberate assaults on Gaza’s civilian infrastructure and identity.
Activist Mohammed Amin noted that towers in Gaza were more than residences: they hosted clinics, shops, offices, and social spaces.
“Destroying them erases not only homes but also the community’s memories and functions,” he said. “It is about stripping Gaza of its past, present, and future.”
Erasing Memory, Enforcing Displacement
Legal experts stress that such attacks amount to collective punishment and possible genocide, prohibited under international law. No evidence has been provided to justify the strikes under military necessity.
By demolishing Gaza’s towers, Israel is not only forcing repeated displacement but also erasing the city’s architectural identity. Residents, carrying their stories from house to house and tent to tent, now live without walls to anchor their memories.
In the ruins, women weep before the rubble, and children struggle to understand why they are uprooted again and again. Each fallen tower represents not only homes lost but also the deliberate erasure of Gaza’s urban presence.
“Gaza is losing its skyline, but not its memory,” Amin said. “Every tower that collapses is a wound, yet the people’s resilience continues to bear witness to the crime.”
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