Israeli strikes kill at least 17 Palestinians in Gaza, say officials

Israeli army flares drift over buildings destroyed during Israeli ground and air operations in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel (Leo Correa/AP)

Israel has struck houses and tents in central and southern Gaza, crushing families inside and killing at least 17 Palestinians, including 10 children and three women, local health officials said, as international pressure for a ceasefire continued to grow.

On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, French President Emmanuel Macron told France 24 that his country had recognised a Palestinian state on the conviction it “is the only way to isolate Hamas”, which has proved itself able to regenerate even after many of its leaders have been killed.