Among the killed were 21 women, and total fatalities may reach 50 due to many victims trapped under rubble and buildings, reported Xinhua news agency.

The bombing injured over 85 people, some of whom sustained serious injuries,  Hamas-run Gaza government media office said in a statement as quoted by Xinhua.

The Israeli army did not comment on the incident so far.

The UN Secretary-General has said the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar should lead to a swift end to the year-long war in Gaza, the release of all hostages and unimpeded delivery of aid, his Deputy Spokesperson told reporters on Friday.

“Although he does not comment on events of this nature, the Secretary-General is interested that this now leads to an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza,” Farhan Haq told the daily press briefing at UN Headquarters.

Increasingly dire in the north

Providing the latest updates, he said the UN humanitarian office, OCHA, reported conditions in the north as increasingly dire and dangerous for civilians, with families trying to survive under heavy bombardment.

The UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, confirmed a third attack by Israel on the agency’s facilities in the last week, Haq said, adding that scores of people were killed after strikes hit a school in Jabalia.

OCHA warned that the ongoing lack of access to the Jabalia refugee camp is having life-threatening impacts. On Friday, the UN agency had submitted an urgent request to the Israeli authorities to facilitate the evacuation of a few dozen people reportedly trapped under the rubble, he said.

“In previous instances, OCHA accompanied rescue teams whose access was facilitated too late, resulting in only dead bodies being recovered,” the Deputy Spokesperson said.

The UN and partners stand ready to provide water and food, he stressed, noting that the World Food Programme (WFP) could only reach about 100,000 people in the north due to lack of access and fighting.

The UN food agency reported that on Tuesday, only 12 trucks carrying wheat flour entered northern Gaza after two weeks of closed crossings, with enough supplies to feed only 9,200 families.

“We call on the Israeli authorities to allowed safe, sustained and unimpeded access to Jabalia and all areas of the north where people are in desperate need of assistance,” Haq said, emphasising that aid organizations must be able to carry out their lifesaving work across the Strip.

Much of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are displaced, according to several UN agencies.

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process said on Friday that the war in Gaza “continues to inflict horrors” on the population there while the hostages taken by Hamas more than a year ago “remain held in terrible conditions”.

Tor Wennesland also took note of Thursday’s killing of the head of Hamas in Gaza acknowledging his role in the “horrific attacks” of 7 October 2023.

He said today was a “critical juncture” and the warring parties must seize the moment to silence the guns and release all hostages: “I call on all sides to engage in dialogue and reach a deal.”