Israel’s military continued heavy strikes across Gaza City and the wider Strip on Saturday, with local health officials reporting at least 60 Palestinians killed in a single day. The attacks are happening just as 10 countries – including Australia, Belgium, Britain, and Canada – prepare to formally recognize an independent Palestinian state on Monday, ahead of the UN General Assembly.

This latest wave of destruction comes as Israel steps up its campaign against Gaza’s tallest buildings, many of them home to families who have already lost everything once before. Troops have moved deeper into Gaza City’s eastern neighborhoods, hammering areas like Sheikh Radwan and Tel Al-Hawa, where much of the population is still trying to find shelter. Israeli forces see these districts as their path toward the city’s center and western neighborhoods.

According to Israeli estimates, about 20 tower blocks have been brought down in the past two weeks alone, and more than half a million people have fled Gaza City since early September. Hamas disputes that, saying fewer people have left and nearly 900,000 remain trapped inside including Israeli hostages.

On Telegram, Hamas released a chilling warning, sharing an image of hostages and claiming their lives are in danger because of Israel’s bombardments. The group also says that since mid-August, more than 1,800 homes have been destroyed in Gaza City and over 13,000 makeshift tents for displaced families have been wiped out.

The toll after nearly two years of war is staggering. Gazan health authorities say more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, famine is spreading, and entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble. Families who once fled to escape the violence now find themselves displaced yet again, with fewer and fewer safe places left to go.