Gaza, Oct 19 (IANS): At least 33 Palestinians were killed on Friday evening by an Israeli airstrike on the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said.

Among the killed were 21 women, and total fatalities may reach 50 due to many victims trapped under rubble and buildings. The bombing injured over 85 people, some of whom sustained serious injuries, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement issued by the media office.

The Israeli army bombed several homes in Jabalia camp, it added.

The Israeli army has not yet commented on the incident.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 42,500, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Friday.