At least 11 Palestinians, including one child, have been killed after Israeli forces struck a mosque during prayers in the town of Beit Lahiya, north of Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip.

More than 200 people were inside the the Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque praying when it was struck.

It is not clear yet whether the mosque was hit as part of the Israeli army's shelling, which started on Saturday afternoon.

At least 50 people were wounded, Hamas and medical officials said.

The Israeli military has destroyed several mosques during its week-long offensive in Gaza, saying Hamas uses the houses of worship to store weapons.

Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said: "As much as Israel wants to be surgical in its strikes at the end of the day it is civilians that are being hit. This is proof that civilians are caught up in these attacks."

Mohyeldin said doctors in the Gaza Strip were being overwhelmed by the number of casualties being brought in as a result of the Israeli offensive and that hospitals were near a state of collapse due to a lack of medicines and blood.