Health officials say blast killed at least 500 as footage shows fire engulfing medical centre owned by Anglican church

Israel and Hamas at war – live updates

Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed in an airstrike on a crowded hospital in Gaza City as the 11-day-war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in control of the Gaza Strip, continues to escalate before an expected visit to the region by Joe Biden.

The Gaza health ministry, which is run by Hamas, said at least 500 people had been killed in the explosion at Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist hospital, and the death toll was likely to rise. A spokesperson for the Gaza civil defence put the number of killed at about 300.