France recognises state of Palestine, Macron tells UN; Abbas says Hamas to ‘surrender their weapons’ – Middle East crisis live
French announcement followed by Morocco, Belgium, Malta and Luxembourg; Palestinian president says Hamas must have ‘no role’ in governing Gaza
The Israeli military, which justifies its assault on Gaza City by saying it wants to “destroy Hamas military infrastructure” hasn’t given a timeline for the ground offensive, but there are indications it could take months.
Amid this flurry of diplomatic activity, Israel is continuing to launch deadly attacks on Gaza, including on Gaza City, the biggest urban centre in the territory.