Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, expressed alarm: "The situation is very serious. Frankly, among the worst we have ever known." Israel's ground offensive in the city, home to one million people, has intensified, bringing with it greater human loss, destruction, and forced displacement.

"In recent days, there has been a significant concentration of bombardments on the tents and homes of the displaced in the west of the city. Every day, we receive dozens of wounded from these bombardments, which occur almost every hour, every minute," the director reported by phone (international journalists are banned from entering Gaza), mentioning a large number of deaths and people missing under the rubble.

This escalation was confirmed by Israel. On Friday, September 5, the army began targeting high-rise buildings in the city, described as Hamas strongholds. One building of nearly 20 stories was completely destroyed. "In the coming days, the IDF will carry out precise, targeted strikes against terrorist infrastructure that poses a direct threat to IDF troops," the military announced, specifying that towers would be targeted only after residents had received warnings to evacuate. "The lock has been lifted from the gates of hell in Gaza," declared Defense Minister Israel Katz, using his trademark hyperbolic military language.

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