Israel pounds Gaza City as UK, Canada, Australia recognise Palestinian state

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The Israeli military said Sunday that more than 550,000 Gaza City residents have evacuated since Israel's latest offensive began there weeks ago.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) meanwhile announced that 1.9 million people have been forcibly displaced across the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the UN agency noted that it has been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza for the past two years, emphasising that the scale of suffering and destruction is unimaginable. It added: "We once again call for an immediate ceasefire."

Last Friday, UNRWA stated that the estimated cost of displacement for a single family moving from Gaza City in the north to the south of the Strip is around $3,180. The agency also highlighted the severe overcrowding in the limited areas available for setting up tents to shelter Palestinians displaced by Israel's military offensive.

The Israeli military said a strike in south Lebanon that killed several civilians had eliminated a Hezbollah member.

Five people, including three children, were killed in the attack on Sunday.

An Israeli military spokesman claimed the incident is under investigation.

Pakistan's nuclear umbrella will cover Saudi Arabia, a source close to the kingdom's government told AFP on Sunday, days after the two allies signed a surprise mutual defence treaty.

The source told AFP that the deal had been in the works for years and that Saudi Arabia expected Pakistan's arch-rival India to understand the kingdom's security needs.

When asked if the deal meant Pakistan's nuclear weapons could be used to defend Saudi Arabia, Ali Shihabi, an analyst close to the royal court, told AFP: "Yes, it does".

"Nuclear is integral to this deal and Pakistan remembers that the kingdom effectively financed their nuclear programme and supported them when they were sanctioned," he added.

"India will understand the security needs of Saudi Arabia. Saudi maintains excellent ties with India."

US President Donald Trump has invited several Arab leaders to a meeting on the Gaza war, ahead of the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, Axios has reported.

Israel has expanded its ground offensive in Gaza City by deploying troops from a third division to advance into the city, according to the army on Sunday.

Two divisions had already been participating in the operation. A division typically consists of between 10,000 and 15,000 soldiers.

The Israeli army's statement said that soldiers had attacked "dozens of targets" in recent days to enable more ground forces to advance. It claimed that the forces "will continue to operate in the Gaza Strip as long as necessary to protect Israeli citizens."

Portugal said Sunday it recognises a Palestinian state, making it the latest Western nation to make the symbolic move as the war in Gaza shows no sign of ending.

"Recognising the State of Palestine is therefore the fulfilment of a fundamental, consistent, and widely agreed policy," Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel told reporters in New York ahead of the annual UN General Assembly, which opens Monday.

"Portugal advocates the two-state solution as the only path to a just and lasting peace, one that promotes coexistence and peaceful relations between Israel and Palestine," he added.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog said Sunday that the recognition of a Palestinian state by Britain, Canada and Australia was detrimental to those seeking peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

"It will not help one Palestinian, it won't help free one hostage, and it will not help us reach any settlement between Israelis and Palestinians," Herzog said in a statement.

"It will only embolden the forces of darkness. This is a sad day for those who seek true peace."

An Iranian official denied a state media report on Sunday that Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was to meet with officials from Britain, France and Germany in Vienna as sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme loom again.

Nournews had reported the talks, without giving a date.

But an Iranian Foreign Ministry official told Reuters that was not the case, with Araqchi heading to New York, not Vienna.

In a bid to avert the reimposition of sanctions on Tehran, Iranian and European ministers engaged in discussions last week but they did not yield breakthroughs, diplomats said.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is set to meet with officials from Britain, France and Germany, the so-called E3, in Vienna, Iran's state-run Nournews agency reported on Sunday, as international sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear programme are set to be reimposed at the end of this month.

"In this trip, mutual negotiations are scheduled as well as reviewing issues related to Iranian-European relations," the agency said, without giving the date of the talks.

In a bid to avert the reimposition of sanctions on Tehran, Iranian and European ministers engaged in discussions last week. The talks did not yield significant breakthroughs, according to two European diplomats and one Iranian diplomat.

Syria will hold its first parliamentary election under its new Islamist-led administration on October 5, state news agency SANA said on Sunday.

Voting for the 210-member People's Assembly will take place "across all electoral districts", SANA said, even though the electoral commission said last month voting would be delayed in three provinces due to security concerns.

A third of the People's Assembly seats will be appointed by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has departed for the United States, state media reported Sunday, on a landmark trip that will see the former jihadist leader address the United Nations General Assembly.

State television said Sharaa was en route "to the United States of America to participate in the affairs of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York", citing a presidency statement.

He is the first Syrian leader to speak at the UN General Assembly in New York since Nureddin al-Atassi in 1967.

Sharaa remains under UN sanctions and a travel ban due to his jihadist past and must request exemptions for all foreign trips. His foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, is already in Washington for an official visit.

France's planned recognition of a Palestinian state will not include the opening of an embassy until Hamas frees the hostages it is holding in Gaza, President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview that aired Sunday.

"It will be, for us, a requirement very clearly before opening, for instance, an embassy in Palestine," Macron told CBS News in an interview taped Thursday.

Macron also spoke out strongly against any plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza - which they want to be part of a future sovereign state - when rebuilding the territory.

"But if the precondition of such a plan is to push them out, this is just a craziness," Macron said on "Face the Nation."

"We should not be - for the credibility of the United States, for the credibility of France - we cannot be implicitly or explicitly complacent with such a project."

Netanyahu said on Sunday the recognition of a Palestinian state by Britain, Canada and Australia was a "huge reward to terrorism".

"And I have another message for you: It will not happen. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River," he said in a statement.

Netanyahu said Israel's response will be announced when he returns from the United States, where he is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to expand Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank after Britain, Canada and Australia recognised a Palestinian state.

"For years, I have prevented the creation of this terror state despite enormous pressure both domestically and internationally," he said in a statement.

"We have done so with determination and political wisdom. Moreover, we have doubled Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria and we will continue on this path," he said using the Biblical name for the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said there would be no Palestinian state, in a message addressed to the leaders of Britain, Australia and Canada after they recognised Palestinian statehood.

"I have a clear message for those leaders who recognise a Palestinian state after the horrific massacre on October 7: you are granting a huge reward to terror," he said. "And I have another message for you: it will not happen. No Palestinian state will be established west of the Jordan River."

Israel's foreign ministry said Sunday it rejected what it called the "one-sided" recognition of a Palestinian state by warning that the move could further destabilise the region.

"Israel categorically rejects the one-sided declaration of the recognition of a Palestinian state made by the United Kingdom and some other countries...This declaration does not promote peace, but on the contrary further destabilises the region and undermines the chances of achieving a peaceful solution in the future," the ministry said in a statement.

A senior Hamas official on Sunday hailed Britain, Canada and Australia's recognition of a Palestinian state, describing it as a victory for the rights of Palestinians.

"These developments represent a victory for Palestinian rights and the justice of our cause, and send a clear message: no matter how far the occupation goes in its crimes, it will never be able to erase our national rights," Mahmud Mardawi told AFP.

Israel said on Sunday that recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Kingdom and other countries further destabilises the region and undermines prospects for a peaceful solution to the conflict.

"Israel will not accept any detached or imaginary text that attempts to force it to accept indefensible borders," the foreign ministry said on X.

In response to the statement of the U.K. and some other countries regarding the recognition of a Palestinian state:
Israel categorically rejects the one-sided declaration of the recognition of a Palestinian state made by the United Kingdom and some other countries.
This…

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) September 21, 2025

At least five people were killed by an Israeli drone strike on southern Lebanon on Sunday, including three children, the Lebanese health ministry said.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the strike, near Bint Jbeil, had targeted a motorcycle.

Israel launches frequent strikes inside southern Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah, despite a November ceasefire meant to end more than a year of hostilities between them.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Sunday that Britain, Canada and Australia's recognition of a Palestinian state was a necessary step toward lasting peace in the region.

Welcoming the move by the three countries, Abbas said "it constitutes an important and necessary step toward achieving a just and lasting peace in accordance with international legitimacy," according to a statement by his office.

Abbas also called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

"He emphasised that today's priorities are achieving a ceasefire, allowing humanitarian aid to enter, securing the release of all hostages and prisoners, ensuring Israel's complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, enabling the State of Palestine to assume full responsibilities, advancing recovery and reconstruction, and halting settlement activity and settler violence," the statement added.

Two Israeli far-right ministers on Sunday called for the annexation of the Israeli-occupied West Bank following Britain, Canada and Australia's recognition of a Palestinian state.

"The recognition by Britain, Canada, and Australia of a Palestinian state... requires immediate countermeasures: the swift application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria and the complete dismantling of the Palestinian Authority," National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said in a statement, using the Israeli name for the Palestinian territory.

"I intend to submit a proposal for applying sovereignty at the upcoming cabinet meeting."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has also repeatedly called for the annexation of the West Bank, made a similar statement.

"The days when Britain and other countries would determine our future are over. The mandate is over, and the only response to this anti-Israeli move is sovereignty over the historic homeland of the Jewish people in Judea and Samaria, and permanently removing the folly of a Palestinian state from the agenda," Smotrich said on X.

"Mr prime minister, the time is now and it is in your hands," he wrote.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that the creation of a Palestinian state would endanger Israel's survival, pledging to oppose such efforts at the United Nations next week.

"We will also need to fight, both at the UN and in all other arenas, against the false propaganda directed at us and against calls for a Palestinian state, which would endanger our existence and serve as absurd reward for terrorism," Netanyahu told his cabinet. "The international community will hear from us on this matter in the coming days."

Australia "formally recognises the independent and sovereign State of Palestine", Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday.

"In doing so, Australia recognises the legitimate and long held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own," Albanese said in a statement as his country joined other major Western nations in increasing pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza.

"Today's act of recognition reflects Australia's longstanding commitment to a two-state solution, which has always been the only path to enduring peace and security for the Israeli and the Palestinian peoples."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday said Britain was formally recognising a State of Palestine, in a historic shift in decades of British foreign policy.

"Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine," Starmer said in a message on X.

Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine. pic.twitter.com/yrg6Lywc1s

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 21, 2025

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said countries recognising a Palestinian state this week were taking an irreversible step that preserved the two-state solution and brought Palestinian independence and sovereignty closer.

"Now is the time. Tomorrow is a historic date we need to build on. It's not the end," Shahin told reporters in Ramallah.

"It is a move bringing us closer to sovereignty and independence. It might not end the war tomorrow, but it's a move forward, which we need to build on and amplify," she said, referring to Israel's nearly two-year military campaign in Gaza.

The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia have formally recognised a Palestinian state.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Sunday that the country has now recognised the state of Palestine.

"Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel," Carney said in a statement. 

Australia on Sunday formally recognised the State of Palestine, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement on Sunday.

Australia was recognising Palestine as part of an effort to revive momentum for a two-state solution that starts with a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives held there, Albanese said in the joint statement with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that there has been progress on a security deal with Syria, but an agreement was not imminent.

Speaking at the outset of a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said victory against Hezbollah in Lebanon had opened up the possibility of peace with Israel's northern neighbours.

"We are holding talks with the Syrians, there is some progress, but there was still a ways to go," he said. "In any case these discussions, as well as the contacts with Lebanon, would not have been possible without our decisive victories on the northern front and others."

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Wednesday that ongoing negotiations with Israel to reach a security pact could lead to results "in the coming days."

Israeli attacks have killed at least 75 Palestinians over the last 24 hours, also injuring a further 304, as the Gaza war continues.

Israel's war has killed at least 65,283 Palestinians, including injuring 166,575 - the toll does not include the thousands of Palestinians missing or trapped beneath the rubble presumed dead.

Pope Leo spoke out against the forced displacement of Gaza civilians on Sunday as Israel intensified its military demolition campaign in the Palestinian enclave's main city.

"Together with the pastors of the churches in the Holy Land, I repeat that there is no future based on violence, forced exile, and revenge," the Pope said during his weekly Angelus prayer.

The Holy Land encompasses parts of modern-day Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, Jordan, and Egypt, that are sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Leo's role in advocating for peace in Gaza has become starker since Israel struck the territory's only Catholic church in July.

"The peoples need peace. Those who truly love them work for peace," the first pope from the United States added.

Israeli settlers assaulted a Palestinian family in the town of Deir Jarir in the occupied West Bank, injuring a man and his son near their home.

The settlers bruised the two Palestinians and left wounds on their heads and hands, Wafa reports, also smashing the windows of a vehicle.

At least 24 Palestinians have been arrested in the occupied West Bank as Israeli forces carry out their detention campaign in the territory.

Among the detainees are eight in Bethlehem, six in Nablus and a former Knesset member, Hanin al-Zoabi, on charges of inciting "terrorism".

At least 46 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip since Sunday, sources tell Al Jazeera.

Among the killed are eight killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Daraj neighbourhood in Gaza City, where Israel launched its unprecedented offensive.

A senior Gaza doctor has refuted the Israeli military's accusations that his brother was a 'Hamas sniper' after the army killed him the day before. The brother says his sibling was visually impaired.

Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital, had been working in the emergency department on Saturday when his brother and sister-in-law's bodies were brought in, telling AFP at the time that they were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City.

The military did not comment on Saturday, but on Sunday it said it had killed Majed Abu Salmiya, describing him as a Hamas sharpshooter.

"The IDF (Israeli military) struck and eliminated Majed Abu Salmiya, a terrorist in Hamas' military wing," it said in a statement.

"As part of his role, Abu Salmiya operated as a sniper for Hamas and was preparing to carry out an imminent terror attack against IDF troops in the Gaza City area."

Mohammed Abu Salmiya, however, rejected the military's accusation as "a lie, slander and an unacceptable justification for targeting civilians with direct missile strikes".

"My brother is a 57-year-old man who suffers from several illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and he has severe vision impairment -- and they claim he was a sniper? This is pure fabrication," he told AFP, noting his brother's family had been displaced several times since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Jordan said it partially reopened its border crossing with the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Sunday, three days after closing it following an attack that killed two Israeli soldiers.

"The crossing reopened Sunday for travellers only, while the movement of cargo trucks remains suspended until further notice," an official statement said.

State broadcaster Al-Mamlaka reported heavy traffic in both directions from early in the morning.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will on Sunday announce a decision on the UK's recognition of Palestinian statehood, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said.

"The prime minister will set out the position later on today, making the judgment as to whether those conditions have been met," Lammy told the BBC, with most UK media reporting that Britain will move towards full recognition.

Britain's deputy prime minister said on Sunday that recognising a Palestinian state would not bring one into existence "overnight", stressing that recognition must be part of a broader peace process.

"Any step to recognise it is because we wish to keep alive the prospects of a two-state solution," David Lammy told Sky News, adding that Prime Minister Keir Starmer would be making a decision on recognising a Palestinian state later on Sunday.

The Israeli military said two projectiles were launched from northern Gaza on Sunday, one of which was intercepted, while the other landed in southern Israel.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in the areas of Lakhish and Ashdod, two projectiles were launched from the northern Gaza Strip," the military said.

It added that the air force brought down one, while the second fell in an open area. No casualties were reported.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday he will raise the subject of Israel's "massacres" in Gaza at the UN General Assembly and voiced hope that wider recognition of Palestine would speed efforts for a two-state solution.

Speaking to reporters before departing for New York, Erdogan said he would discuss cooperation on trade and the defence industry with US President Donald Trump, and that he would also meet Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during his trip.

Britain and Portugal are expected to recognise a Palestinian state on Sunday, ahead of a key week at the UN's gathering where a suite of nations are set to do the same to pressure Israel over Gaza.

Around 10 nations are expected to recognise a Palestinian state in the coming days, with UK media outlets like the BBC reporting that Prime Minister Keir Starmer would announce the policy shift on Sunday - over fierce Israeli objection.

Starmer had said in July that Britain would formally recognise the State of Palestine if Israel did not take "substantive steps" towards a ceasefire with Hamas by the time the UN General Assembly convened.

The Labour leader said at the time that the move would make "a contribution to a proper peace process, at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution".

Portugal's foreign ministry said on Friday that it would also formally declare its recognition on Sunday.