Eyewitnesses said the number of casualties could rise as the mosque was being used to house displaced people. The Israeli military said in a statement it “conducted a precise strike on Hamas terrorists who were operating within a command and control centre embedded in a structure that previously served as the ‘Shuhada al-Aqsa’ Mosque in the area of Deir al Balah”.

In a windowless room, somewhere in the bowels of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) headquarters, Chief of Staff Lt Gen Herzi Halevi jabbed his index finger forward.

Israel has repeatedly targeted Hamas and Hezbollah officials in Lebanon since the Gaza war erupted almost a year ago.