Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City have flattened three buildings and killed at least 26 people, according to medics, in the deadliest single attack since heavy fighting broke out in the region nearly a week ago.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 10 women and eight children were among those killed, with another 50 people injured in the attack.

It added that rescuers were racing to pull survivors and bodies from the rubble.

The death toll in Gaza has risen to 181 fatalities, with 52 children among those killed, according to the territory’s health ministry.

The ministry added that the deaths were mostly the result of Israeli airstrikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip.

The Isreali military says it has destroyed the home of Gaza’s top Hamas leader in the third such attack in as many days, after nearly a week of heavy air strikes on the Palestinian territory.

Military officials said the homes of Yahya Sinwar, the most senior Hamas leader inside the territory, and his brother Muhammad, another senior Hamas member, had been struck, while the home of senior political figure Khalil al-Hayeh was destroyed on Saturday.

Brigadier general Hidai Zilberman confirmed the strike on Mr Sinwar’s house in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis to army radio.

He said the home of his brother, who is in charge of Hamas “logistics and personnel”, was also destroyed.

However, Hamas’ most senior officials have gone into hiding in Gaza so it is unlikely any were at home at the time of the strikes.

The militant group has acknowledged that 20 fighters have been killed since heavy fighting broke out last Monday, although Israel claims the real number is far higher.

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the conflict between Israel and Gaza today.