"Systematic ethnic cleansing".. The demolition of residential towers in Gaza raises fears of permanent displacement.

The occupying army announces the demolition of up to 20 residential towers over the past two weeks. For ten years, Palestinian employee Shadi Salama Al-Rais has been repaying a loan of $93,000 to purchase his apartment in the Al-Mushtaha tower, one of the high-rise buildings in an upscale neighborhood of Gaza City. Now, he and his family are living in abject poverty after an Israeli airstrike turned the entire building into a pile of rubble in an instant.

Al-Rais's story is not unique; rather, it reflects a systematic demolition campaign that raises serious concerns among Palestinians and the United Nations that it aims for the permanent displacement of the city's residents, which could amount to "ethnic cleansing."

The attack on the Al-Mushtaha tower on September 5 marked the beginning of an intensive destruction campaign carried out by the occupying army, targeting high-rise buildings in preparation for a ground assault on the heart of the city. Over the past two weeks, the occupying army has announced the demolition of up to 20 residential towers, while the occupying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that 50 "terrorist towers" have been demolished.