Israel bombs Gaza after US criticises high civilian toll

Authorities in Gaza said dozens of Palestinians were killed Tuesday in three separate strikes, as Israel pounded the territory despite renewed US criticism of the high civilian toll.

Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the three air strikes killed at least 44 people and wounded dozens within an hour across the war-torn Palestinian territory. 

The health ministry said a strike on a fuel station in Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza killed 17 people, and the Palestinian Red Crescent said a separate strike at almost simultaneously hit the UN-run Al-Razi School in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing five people.

The civil defence agency said the third strike was on a gathering of people near a roundabout in northern Gaza, but did not provide a breakdown of casualties.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier conveyed Washington's "serious concern" to two senior Israeli officials regarding deadly Israeli strikes in Gaza, his spokesman said.

"We have seen civilian casualties come down from the high points of the conflict... but they still remain unacceptably high," spokesman Matthew Miller said after Blinken met Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi.

Washington has been pushing for a truce between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said Sunday the group was pulling out of indirect talks for a deal in protest at Israeli "massacres", including a major strike that Gaza's health ministry said killed at least 92 people on that day.

Hamas was ready to return to the indirect talks once Israel "demonstrates seriousness in reaching a ceasefire agreement and a prisoner exchange deal", he said.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to ramp up pressure on Hamas.