International

70 killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza refugee camp

An Israeli air strike that hit central Gaza's Maghazi refugee camp has killed 70 people, Palestinian health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said on Sunday, and he said the death toll was likely to climb.

"What is happening at the Maghazi camp is a massacre that is being committed on a crowded residential square," al-Qidra said.

The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident.

"Despite the challenges posed by Hamas terrorists operating within civilian areas in Gaza, the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) is committed to international law including taking feasible steps to minimize harm to civilians," an Israeli army spokesperson said in a statement.

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which runs Gaza, issued a statement calling the air strike "a horrific massacre" and said it was "a new war crime."

Source: Reuters