More than 150 residential and public buildings were reduced to rubble in a single day as Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza City with unrelenting force. Entire high-rise towers collapsed, leaving thousands of families without shelter. Civil defence teams reported that areas already crowded with displaced people were deliberately struck, wiping out over 200 tents that had become the last refuge for families forced from their homes.

The al-Tuffah neighbourhood witnessed some of the most harrowing scenes. In al-Zarqa, residents trapped beneath the debris called for help as rescue workers battled overwhelming destruction with limited resources. Survivors described the bombardment as sudden and indiscriminate, with no warning before the buildings caved in on civilians. For first responders, it was among the darkest days since the escalation resumed in March 2025.

Beyond the homes, the airstrikes levelled mosques and community spaces, including sports facilities that once served as rare places of solace for young people. The devastation has deepened a humanitarian disaster already marked by famine and mass displacement. Human rights defenders warn that the targeting of densely populated civilian areas amounts to collective punishment and a grave breach of international law, yet calls for urgent intervention remain unanswered.