GAZA - At least 71 Palestinians were killed and 289 others injured on Saturday by an Israeli airstrike that attacked tents of displaced people in the Mawasi area of the Khan Younis city in the south of Gaza, the Gaza health authorities said.

With three missiles, Israeli jets bombed the tents housing displaced people in Khan Younis, and then a civil defense vehicle was targeted, local and security sources told Xinhua.

Dozens of bodies of the killed and wounded people were lying on the ground, locals told Xinhua.

The Israeli raid targeted a large gathering of displaced people in Mawasi, the Gaza Civil Defense Service reported in a brief statement.

Meanwhile, Israeli state-owned Kan TV news said that the target of the Israeli attack on the Mawasi area was Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, noting that the army was awaiting the results of the raid.

Hamas rejected the claim, saying it comes in the context of covering up Israel's crimes.