Israel presses on with Gaza offensive as civilian toll rises and state recognition looms

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza intensified Friday as IDF tanks rolled through Gaza City’s streets and troops moved to root out Hamas, with clashes reported along the city’s outskirts. Gazan health authorities said at least 60 Palestinians were killed in the operation, while Israel said one soldier was wounded by a sniper on the city’s edge. The Israeli military said several Hamas field commanders were killed as forces dismantled underground shafts and booby-trapped buildings believed to be used by the group.

The escalation comes as the scale of displacement widens, with more than 300,000 people reported to have fled Gaza City in the past two weeks, according to Gazan authorities. Many displaced residents have sought shelter near the city’s borders or in makeshift camps as the army presses its push toward central and western sectors, where a large share of Gaza City’s remaining population is believed to be sheltering. In recent days, Israeli forces have focused strikes on the Sheikh Radwan and Tel al-Hawa districts and said they have demolished up to 20 tower blocks during the operation.

International dynamics added to the era of uncertainty, as Britain and nine other countries are scheduled to formally recognise an independent Palestinian state ahead of the United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York. The UN meeting comes amid heightened tensions, with the global body’s description of the conflict as genocide drawing sharp international reactions. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking alongside former President Donald Trump at Chequers earlier in the week, framed recognition as part of a broader process that could eventually lead to a two-state solution and said it was not a reward for Hamas, which he argued should have no role in running a Palestinian state. Trump, for his part, publicly disagreed with Starmer on that interpretation.

On the battlefield, Hamas’ military wing released a montage of hostages on the messaging site Telegram, warning that lives are at risk as Israel intensifies its assault. Hamas estimates that since August 11, Israel has destroyed or damaged more than 1,800 residential buildings in Gaza City and more than 13,000 tents housing displaced families. The group says about 900,000 people remain in Gaza, including Israeli hostages—approximately 20 believed to be alive.

In almost two years of fighting, Gazan health authorities say the Israeli offensive has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians and caused widespread famine across the enclave. The humanitarian crisis has prompted debate about aid access and civilian protection, even as Israeli authorities stress efforts to mitigate hunger in Gaza and attribute shortages to Hamas activity. COGAT, the arm of the Israeli military that oversees aid flows, said Hamas fired at U.N. teams on Saturday and blocked the opening of a new humanitarian route in the southern Gaza Strip.

The war began after Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 captives, according to a broad tally of figures cited by officials. As the fighting continued, the United Kingdom has been moving to facilitate medical treatment for badly wounded Palestinian children, with between 30 and 50 understood to have been admitted to hospitals in Britain after being airlifted there for care.

The United States has maintained its support for Israel’s security posture amid the crisis, with high-level visits and statements signaling continued backing. In a contemporary display of that alignment, remarks from U.S. officials in recent days have underscored Washington’s willingness to sustain support for the Israeli operation while stressing the need to protect civilians. In Israel, Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly praised the mission on social media, saying: “Gaza is burning. We will not relent or turn back until the mission is complete.”