GAZA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army on Sunday destroyed another multi-story building in Gaza City, local sources said.
Residents in Gaza City told Xinhua that Israeli aircraft struck the Al-Kawthar tower in western Gaza City shortly after issuing an evacuation warning. The tower collapsed into rubble.
"We were forced to flee within minutes. People are running from one place to another without knowing where to go," said Ahmed Rabah, a Palestinian man from Gaza City.
Heavy smoke was seen billowing from the site as rescue workers and residents searched for survivors.
No immediate information was available on casualties. Residents said dozens of families had lived in the tower and nearby shelters.
Its destruction adds to the growing number of multi-storey buildings hit since the escalation of the conflict.
The Israeli army claimed that Hamas infrastructure was located inside or near the tower, while local sources said it contained commercial offices.
The Hamas-run government media office said the strike was part of widespread demolitions of residential areas in Gaza City. It said many people had been displaced toward southern Gaza in recent days amid intensified bombardments.
The Israeli military has expanded its operations in Gaza City in recent weeks, warning civilians to evacuate before launching air and ground attacks.
Also on Sunday, Gaza's health authorities warned of a severe shortage of essential medical reagents and life-saving laboratory supplies in the enclave.
The authorities said that the shortage includes reagents for blood electrolytes, blood gases, complete blood count, and virus tests, warning that the absence of these items is disrupting the ability to conduct critical laboratory examinations for patients and the injured in medical departments.
The authorities said they had coordinated with the World Health Organization to secure the necessary items, which are available in the organization's warehouses in the West Bank. However, pending logistical and administrative arrangements have so far prevented the supplies from reaching Gaza's hospitals.
Local reports estimate that thousands of injured people require urgent laboratory tests every day to determine treatment plans and surgical interventions.
Hundreds of health facilities in Gaza have been destroyed or partially damaged, while the remaining hospitals are working far beyond capacity. ■
