Israeli aircraft struck a residential block in war-ravaged northern Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least 23 people, health officials said, as the renewed fighting in the devastated Palestinian enclave showed no signs of letting up.

The Al-Ahly hospital said at least 23 people were killed in the strike, including eight women and eight children, figures confirmed by the territory's Health Ministry.

The strike hit a four-storey building in the Shijaiyah neighbourhood of Gaza City and rescue teams were searching for victims under the rubble, according to the health ministry’s emergency service. The civil defence, a rescue group which operates under the Hamas-run government, said other neighbouring buildings were damaged in the strike.

The Israeli military said it struck a senior Hamas militant who it said was behind attacks emanating from Shijaiyah. It did not name him or provide further details. Israel blames the deaths of civilians on Hamas, because it embeds itself in dense urban areas.

Israel has issued evacuation orders in parts of Gaza, including for Shijaiyah. It has imposed a blockade on food, fuel and aid that has left civilians facing acute shortages.