Israeli occupation forces are demolishing Gaza City block by block, as part of their new ground offensive into what once was the largest urban center in the territory, The New York Times reported.

The widespread demolitions now being seen in Gaza City were not a feature of earlier operations there, even though "Israel's" two-year war on the Strip has otherwise leveled extensive areas across the territory, from the southern city of Rafah to the northern town of Beit Hanoun.

Despite parts of the city remaining intact, satellite imagery reveals that advancing Israeli forces are destroying entire sections of Gaza City, specifically the al-Zaytoun neighborhood and an area near Sheikh Radwan, the latter seeing dozens of structures demolished this month.

Prior to the current offensive, while most buildings in Gaza City had been damaged and many were uninhabitable, they remained largely standing, particularly in the central part of town.

Earlier in the summer, "Israel" had demolished much of the eastern outskirts of Gaza City. On August 8, the Israeli government approved plans to invade and occupy Gaza City; however, by then, a significant portion of the eastern parts of the city had been razed to the ground.

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While stating it had not yet begun its full takeover of the city, the military continued destruction on its edges by turning the al-Zaytoun neighborhood into a wasteland and has since ordered the remaining residents to flee for their lives.

IOF using everything it can to sow destruction

Since Israeli occupation forces announced the start of the invasion of Gaza City, they have destroyed a large area in the northern part of the city. According to satellite images and videos verified by The New York Times, Israeli forces, while closing in on Gaza City, have been using existing buildings as bases and then subsequently destroying them with explosives before advancing.

The Israeli military has continued to strike hundreds of targets in Gaza City with airstrikes since mid-September, in addition to its ongoing demolition operations.

The most recent high-resolution satellite image from Planet Labs, captured on September 18, showed a reduced number of tents compared to the period before "Israel" announced its Gaza City ground offensive two days earlier, yet hundreds of tents remained visible, with many located within about a mile of Israeli military vehicles.

Israeli military officials deny having a policy to raze civilian neighborhoods wholesale, telling reporters their operations target Hamas sites, underground tunnels, and other military infrastructure. However, Israeli officials' statements reveal more sinister intentions.

In August, Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz threatened that Gaza City would become "like Rafah and Beit Hanoun," two cities almost entirely destroyed in the war, unless Hamas laid down its arms and released the remaining captives.

During a television interview on Channel 14, Eli Cohen, another minister in the high-level security cabinet, echoed the threat by stating that Gaza City itself should be exactly like Rafah, which he said had been turned into a city of ruins.