GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gaza’s civil defense agency said Israeli forces killed more than 20 people across the Palestinian territory on Friday, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations in New York.

It comes as the Israeli military presses its offensive against Hamas in Gaza City, from which hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee.

The civil defense agency — a rescue force operating under Hamas authority — reported at least 22 people killed since dawn across the territory, including 11 in Gaza City.

Israel’s military said in a statement Friday that the air force had over the past day “struck over 140 targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including terrorists, tunnel shafts (and) military infrastructure.”

AFP footage from the Al-Shati refugee camp near Gaza City showed heavy damage to buildings after an air strike.