Israeli Airstrikes Kill 34 in Gaza as UN Vote Nears

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City killed 34 people, including children, overnight, according to local health officials, as Israel intensifies its offensive in the famine-ravaged region. The strikes, which hit a residential block in southern Gaza City late Saturday, claimed the lives of a nurse from Shifa Hospital, his wife, and their three children, among others, hospital officials reported.

The Israeli military, aiming to dismantle Hamas’ infrastructure, has not specified a timeline for the operation, which began earlier this week. The escalation has deepened the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where 23 months of bombardment have left over 65,000 dead, displaced 90% of the population, and triggered widespread famine, according to experts.

As the conflict rages, several Western nations, including the UK, France, Canada, Australia, Malta, Belgium, and Luxembourg, are set to recognize Palestinian statehood at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. Portugal announced it will formally recognize a Palestinian state on Sunday. The move has been praised by peace activists in Israel, with the It’s Time Coalition, comprising over 60 Jewish and Arab organizations, urging an end to the war and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

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“We reject endless war. The UN’s decision is a chance for peace, security, and freedom for both peoples,” the coalition said in a statement.

Israel claimed one of the strikes killed Majed Abu Selmiya, a 57-year-old alleged Hamas sniper, though his brother, Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya of Shifa Hospital, dismissed the accusation as a pretext to justify civilian deaths, noting Majed’s chronic health issues. The Israeli military provided no evidence to support its claim.

Amid the violence, Israel has ordered hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City to evacuate south to a designated humanitarian zone, opening a temporary evacuation corridor. Many residents, exhausted or unable to afford relocation, remain trapped. Families fleeing along the Wadi Gaza route were seen pausing to rest, their children weary from the journey.

Aid organizations warn that mass evacuations will worsen Gaza’s humanitarian disaster and are pleading for a ceasefire to allow aid delivery. Families of hostages held by Hamas also demand an end to the fighting, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of prioritizing military action over negotiations.

As global leaders prepare to address Palestinian statehood at the UN, the intensifying conflict underscores the urgent need for a resolution to the crisis gripping Gaza.

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