Gaza latest: At least 34 killed in overnight strikes as Israeli assault continues

While the decision to recognise a Palestinian state might not have an immediate impact on the ground, it is being felt in the West Bank and Gaza, and in Israel, our Middle East correspondent Adam Parsons says.

He explains there there is anger and fury within the Israeli government.

"But there are many in the West Bank, and Gaza, and even in east Jerusalem, who think that this has profound importance," he adds.

Watch him reporting live from Jerusalem here...

A pregnant women and her two children were among those killed by Israeli strikes today, Reuters news agency reports.

Citing medics, it adds that relatives searched through the rubble of an apartment building hit in Gaza City, trying to salvage their belongings.

"The mother, the boy, the girl, and the baby in her womb - we found them all gone," said Mosallam Al Hadad, the woman's father-in-law.

He told Reuters his son had been seriously injured in the strike. 

"[He] was in a critical condition. We took him to the hospital, and his leg was amputated," Hadad told Reuters. 

See our 11.03 post for more on the latest strikes.

One of the main stories of the day is the news that Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce recognition of a Palestinian state.

Many questions remain over the specifics of this, and we put some of these to Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy this morning (see our 8.49 post for more).

We've also been hearing from guests who are both for and against the proposition.

Baroness Ruth Deech tells Paste BN that the upcoming decision from Starmer to recognise a Palestinian state is "muddled and deeply immoral".

She tells our presenter Darren McCaffrey that she thinks the decision won't affect conditions on the ground.

Watch her speaking here...

Whereas Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, framed the move as righting historical wrongs.

He said:

"Britain historically has played a key role in denying the Palestinian people that right to self-determination, all the way back to the Balfour declaration. Remember, in 1917, the British government said it would support the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine at a time when the majority population of Palestine was 94% Palestinian Arab."

Watch him speaking here...

Israel claimed to have killed a Hamas sniper, but the victim's brother has disputed the account.

In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces said it had killed Majed Abu Selmiya, who it said was a sniper for Hamas and was preparing to carry out attacks in the Gaza City area.

The victim's brother is the director of the Shifa hospital, Dr Mohamed Abu Selmiya.

Dr Selmiya said the allegations were a lie and accused Israel of justifying the killing of civilians, The Associated Press reports.

It adds that Dr Selmiya also claimed his brother, 57, suffered from hypertension, diabetes and had vision problems.

Portugal is set to recognise a Palestinian state today.

The country's foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday the move would take place before the UN General Assembly high-level conference in the week.

The Times of Israel, citing a US official, also reports that Australia will take the step today as well.

Only a handful of the 27 EU nations recognise Palestine as a state - these being mostly former Communist countries as well as Sweden and Cyprus.

Worldwide, 147 countries recognise a Palestinian state.

A number of other European nations are also preparing to recognise a Palestinian state, including:

• France
• Canada 
• Belgium
• Malta
• Luxembourg

At least 34 people were killed in strikes across Gaza overnight.

Health officials at the Shifa Hospital said today that the dead included children.

Dr Munir al Barsh, director general of the Hamas-run health ministry, told our US partners NBC News that the majority of the deaths, 25, took place in Gaza City.

Most of the bodies were taken to the Shifa hospital and 14 of the dead were killed in a late-night strike on a residential block in the southern Gaza city.

Health staff said a nurse who worked at the hospital was among the dead, along with his wife and three children.

British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has met with Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot.

Zomlot, who represents the Palestinian Authority, shared images of the two on what the Palestinian Mission to the UK called a "historic day".

As a reminder, we spoke to Lammy this morning (see our 8.49 post for what he said).

On the border of Gaza, Israel continued its military action, as its army furthered the assault deep within the enclave.

Soldiers were seen launching a drone in the air, with the razed Gaza in the background.

Similarly, smoke could be seen rising after an explosion as a military convoy set off as well.

Israeli artillery also fired towards Gaza.

While all this is going on, on the Israel-Gaza border, Israel is continuing its assault on Gaza City (see our 7.52 post for more on that).

Donald Trump opposes British plans to recognise a Palestinian state.

During his recent state visit, which took place only last week, the US president said:

"I have a disagreement with the prime minister [Sir Keir Starmer] on that score. It's one of our few disagreements, actually." 

Similarly, the US secretary of state Marco Rubio said last week that the decision would have "no impact whatsoever" on bringing about peace.

The US, and Israel, have condemned the plans from Britain, France and Canada, saying it rewards Hamas.

But more than 140 countries have already taken the step to recognise a Palestinian state.

By Adam Parsons, Middle East correspondent

Britain will be taking "a courageous step at a very difficult time" by officially recognising a Palestinian state, according to the authority's foreign minister.

Varsen Aghabekian told Paste BN she believes the announcement - expected today - will inspire more nations to do the same.

Aghabekian said Britain's move was "better late than never".

She added: "Britain, with its weight, can influence other countries to come forward and recognise, because that is the right thing to do".

But she also said she is "very angry" with the White House over its "unwavering support" for Israel, and said that Israel's refusal to pass on tax revenue was pushing Palestinian civil society to the brink of "collapse".