Israeli strike on Gaza kills 19 members of same family

An Israeli airstrike in Rafah city in southern Gaza killed 19 members of the same family, as the Israeli military pummels the besieged territory. 

Nasser Abu Quta told the Associated Press that an Israeli bomb hit his home full of civilians, including women and children. He told the AP his family was not warned to evacuate.

The UN has said that Israel is bombing houses and apartment buildings in Gaza after fighters from the territory launched a coordinated attack on southern Israel.

The Israeli military says it has destroyed 800 military targets in Gaza as part of its bombing campaign

Palestinian officials have rejected this. Salama Marouf, head of government media for Hamas, which governs Gaza, said the statement was "cover to justify the occupation's aggression against civilian people and property."

The bombing campaign may be a precursor to a looming Israeli ground invasion, which US officials estimate could come within the next 48 hours.