An Israeli airstrike hit the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 70 people, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

The ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said the death toll is likely to rise.

Israel's military spokesperson's office told Reuters news agency that it was looking into the report.

The number of casualties could not be independently verified.

The Health Ministry in Gaza reports that over 20,000 people have died since the start of the war with Israel, which began after the militant Islamist group carried out a bloody attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.

Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the US, EU, Israel and others.