At least 17 people were killed in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to local health officials, as international calls for a ceasefire intensified.
Among the dead were one woman and eight children in the town of Zawaida, where a house and a tent were hit, Al Aqsa hospital reported.
Other strikes in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis left at least five more people dead, including children. In Khan Younis, four people were killed when an apartment building was struck, according to the Nasser Hospital.
The attacks came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised countries that have recognised a Palestinian state, ahead of his speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Friday. France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia are among the nations that have recently announced recognition, despite opposition from Israel and the United States.
