Airstrike kills 24 in Gaza as ceasefire talks continue

An Israeli airstrike has killed at least 24 Palestinians in a tent encampment in the southern Gaza Strip, local health authorities say, as mediators host a new round of talks between Israel and Hamas.

Israel has expanded its military offensive in the enclave and ramped up bombing that has killed hundreds of people over the past 72 hours.

Medics said on Sunday the latest strike also killed women and children, wounded dozens of other people and set several tents ablaze.

The Gaza health ministry said Israeli strikes in the past few days had killed hundreds of Palestinians despite a visit by US President Donald Trump to the region.

Hamas described the strike as a "new brutal crime" in a statement on Sunday and blamed the US administration for the escalation.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the latest strikes but it said in an earlier statement it was conducting extensive strikes in areas of Gaza as part of its plan to reach its war objectives.

Egypt and Qatar mediators, backed by the United States, began a new round of indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas on Saturday, officials from both sides said.

Sources close to the negotiation told Reuters there has been no breakthrough reported in the talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, as each of the sides remained committed to its stance.