An Israeli airstrike killed at least 24 Palestinians in a tent encampment housing displaced families in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, local health authorities said on Sunday, as mediators hosted a new round of talks between Israel and Hamas, BBC reported.

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

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

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

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