'New Israeli air strikes on Gaza Strip kill 16'

New air strikes by Israeli war jets on central and southern Gaza Strip killed 16 Palestinians and wounded more than 50 early Tuesday, medics and witnesses said.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of health ministry in Gaza told reporters that nine Palestinians were killed and 40 injured in a pre-dawn air strike on a house in the central Gaza Strip refugee camp of al-Bureij, Xinhua reported.

Another seven Palestinians from one family were killed in an Israeli air strike on their house in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. Ten others were injured, he added.

Overnight and after midnight, the Israeli army war jets, tanks and battleships intensified their strikes on various parts of the Gaza Strip, mainly on Gaza city, according to security officials.

Huge explosions wrecked western Gaza city after Israeli war jets struck several areas, said the security officials.

Paramedics said at least 15 people were injured in the air strikes on western Gaza city.

Al-Qedra said the death toll in the large-scale Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip that has been going on since July 8 reached 1,101. Over 6,500 were injured, most of them being civilians, including women and children.