At least 45 killed in Gaza camp fire

Israeli air strike triggers blaze in Rafah, Palestinian officials say

Newborns among the dead

At least 45 people have been killed in a fire at a refugee camp in southern Gaza, Palestinian health officials have said.

The blaze was triggered by an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Shaboura camp in Rafah, which is home to thousands of displaced Palestinians.

Eyewitnesses said the fire spread rapidly through the camp, which is made up of tents and makeshift shelters.

Palestinian health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said the victims included 18 women and 21 children.

He said at least 115 people were injured, 42 of them seriously.

The Israeli military said it had carried out airstrikes in Rafah, but it was not clear if these were the strikes that caused the fire.

The incident comes as tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have escalated in recent weeks, with hundreds of rockets being fired from Gaza into Israel and Israeli airstrikes hitting targets in the coastal enclave.