Five people were killed and 20 wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighbourhood, the medics reported. They warned the death toll could rise as many people remained trapped under the rubble.

In a separate incident, five journalists were killed when their vehicle was struck in the vicinity of Al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat in central Gaza, the enclave's health authorities said. The journalists worked for the Al-Quds Al-Youm television channel.

Palestinian media and local reporters said the vehicle was marked as a media van and was used by journalists to report from inside the hospital and Nuseirat camp.

The Israeli army said its air force attacked the vehicle in a "targeted manner", adding members of the Islamic Jihad militant group were inside.

On Wednesday, Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel traded blame over their failure to conclude a ceasefire agreement despite progress reported by both sides in past days.

More than 45 361 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since October 7, 2023, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

--Reuters--