Authorities in Gaza say Israeli warplanes have struck inside the walls of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, the 15th attack on the facility since the conflict began, Al Jazeera reports.

The government media office said the latest strike hit an area near the new internal medicine department, where displaced civilians had gathered for treatment. The attack caused severe injuries and extensive damage, it added, and endangered dozens of patients as well as more than 70 journalists.

The office said in a statement that the repeated strikes are a “blatant violation of international laws and conventions that prohibit attacks on medical facilities and protect civilians”.

Gaza officials called on the UN and humanitarian agencies to act immediately to protect hospitals, warning that the repeated attacks constitute war crimes and acts of genocide.