At least 14 killed in Gaza strikes amid wave of Western recognition for Palestinian statehood

Israeli airstrikes overnight on Gaza City killed at least 14 people, health officials in the enclave said on Friday, as the military intensified its campaign and called on residents to evacuate.

The escalation coincides with mounting international frustration over the war. Several Western nations are preparing to formally recognise Palestinian statehood during the United Nations General Assembly next week. Portugal announced that it will officially extend recognition on Sunday, following through on an earlier pledge.

Other countries, including the U.K., Canada, Australia, Malta, Belgium and Luxembourg, are also expected to move ahead with recognition in the coming days.

Israel launched a new wave of operations this week, declaring its aim to dismantle Hamas’ military infrastructure. The military has not set a timeline for the offensive, though indications suggest it may last for months.

The conflict, now in its 23rd month, has left a devastating toll. More than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities, while nearly 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced. Large parts of the territory lie in ruins, with humanitarian agencies warning of famine in Gaza City.

Dr. Rami Mhanna, the managing director of Shifa Hospital, where some of the bodies were brought, said the dead included six people from the same family after a strike hit their home early Saturday morning. They were relatives of the hospital’s director, Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya, he said.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said five other people were killed in another strike close to Shawa Square.

Israel’s military didn’t immediately respond to questions about the strikes.

In recent days, Israel has been urging hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering in Gaza City to move south to what it calls a humanitarian zone.

Palestinians have streamed out of the city — some by car, others on foot. Israel opened another corridor south of Gaza City for two days this week to allow more people to evacuate. But many Palestinians in the famine-stricken city are unwilling to be uprooted again, too weak to leave or unable to afford the cost of moving.

Aid groups have warned that forcing thousands of people to evacuate will exacerbate the dire humanitarian crisis. They are urging for a ceasefire so aid can reach those who need it.

On Friday, UNICEF said lifesaving therapeutic food meant for thousands of children in Gaza was stolen from four of its trucks. The statement said armed individuals approached the trucks outside their compound in Gaza City, the drivers were held at gunpoint while the food was taken.

“They were intended to treat malnourished children in Gaza City where famine is declared … it was a life-saving shipment amid the severe restrictions on aid delivery to Gaza City,” said Ammar Ammar, a spokesperson for UNICEF.

In a statement Friday, Israel’s army blamed Hamas for stealing the food.

Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid and using it to fund its military activities, without providing evidence. The U.N. says there are mechanisms in place that prevent any significant diversion of aid.

The death count in Gaza has climbed over 65,100, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government, since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that triggered the war. The ministry does not say how many of the dead were civilians or militants. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the U.N. and many independent experts.

Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel in the 2023 attack, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 others. Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than half believed to be alive.

With inputs from agencies