Smoke rises from Gaza City after Israel airstrikes kill at least 42 people

At least 42 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, medics say, making it the deadliest attack so far in recent fighting.

Eight children and 12 women counted among the dead in Sunday’s strikes on a main thoroughfare in Gaza City, while around 50 people were left injured.

The Gaza health ministry said rescuers were racing to pull survivors and bodies from the rubble following the assault, which flattened three buildings.

Meanwhile, efforts to obtain a ceasefire have been stepped up with the arrival of a US diplomat in the region and talks at the UN Security Council.