An Israeli airstrike has reportedly killed at least 10 people in a tent camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The location is said to have been designated by Israel as a "humanitarian zone."

Reuters news agency reported that Israel on Thursday hit the encampment in Khan Younis that shelters displaced families. The media quoted local medical workers as saying the victims include women and children.

The report came as the Israeli military continued attacks into the new year. Local media in Gaza said on Wednesday, New Year's Day, that at least 17 people were killed in airstrikes on houses in areas, including the northern and central parts of the enclave.

Local health authorities say the death toll in fighting between Israel and Hamas since October 2023 rose to 45,581 as of Thursday.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday, "If Hamas does not soon allow the release of the Israeli hostages from Gaza, it will face blows of an intensity not seen in Gaza for a long time."