GAZA/JERUSALEM, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army destroyed a 15-floor residential tower in Gaza City on Saturday, a day after it flattened another high-rise, as part of its expanding military operations across the enclave.

Gazan residents told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes launched several consecutive missiles at the al-Sousi tower, located in the western part of Gaza City, reducing it to rubble within minutes.

The powerful explosions shook surrounding neighborhoods, leaving nearby houses, shops and streets heavily damaged.

"The moment the missiles hit, we felt the ground shake under our feet," Ahmed al-Ras, a 42-year-old resident who lived near the tower, told Xinhua. "We left everything behind ... All we could do was take the children and run."

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson of the Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip, told Xinhua that its crews have rushed to the scene to search for survivors under the rubble.

So far there have been no immediate reports of casualties. However, dozens of families have been displaced, as the building was housing a number of displaced Palestinians.

The destruction of the al-Sousi tower came about 24 hours after Israeli aircraft demolished the 13-floor Mushtaha tower, also in western Gaza City.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that the al-Sousi tower was used by Hamas for installing intelligence gathering equipment and positioning observation posts to monitor the location of IDF troops in the area.

"Hamas also established underground infrastructure adjacent to the building, from which terrorists direct attacks against our forces," the statement read.

The IDF noted that before the strike, precise measures were taken to mitigate harm to residents, including advanced evacuation warnings.

Over the past weeks, the Israeli military has expanded its operations in Gaza City and other areas of the coastal strip, saying the goal is to eliminate Hamas. The intensified bombardments have targeted residential neighborhoods, high-rise towers, and what the Israeli side describes as militant infrastructure.

Local sources noted that the targeting of residential towers has become more frequent in recent days, raising concerns among displaced civilians.

Since the 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and led to about 250 hostages being taken, Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians and wounded 161,000, according to Gaza health authorities. ■