An Israeli strike hit a tent in the western part of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and killed at least six people, a hospital said on Sunday.

The strike late on Saturday happened in the western side of Deir al-Balah, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital.

It killed a family from the northern town of Beit Hanoun, that had arrived in Deir al-Balah last week after fleeing their shelter in Gaza City.

The dead included two parents, their three children and the children’s aunt, the hospital said.

Mourners gathered at the hospital courtyard for funeral prayers on Sunday, before the family were taken away for burial.

The family was one of many forced to leave their homes and shelters in and around Gaza City in recent weeks as Israel's military stepped up its attacks ahead of its major offensive on the city.

As part of its expanding operation in Gaza City, the Israeli military destroyed a high-rise residential building on Sunday morning, less than an hour after an evacuation order posted online by the military spokesman Avichay Adraee.

The Israeli military did not have immediate comment on the strikes.