Gaza - Nine Palestinians were killed and more wounded in several fresh Israeli airstrikes in the northern Gaza Strip Saturday evening, medics and witnesses said.

The witnesses said that three civilians from the same family were killed in one strike on a house in Beit Lahia, a town in northern Gaza.

Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency services in Gaza, said 31 Palestinians were killed Saturday and more than 50 wounded in airstrikes and tank-shelling on houses and cars in all areas of the enclave.

Hassanein said that the death toll since the beginning of Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip, which began on December 27, had surpassed 820 killed and more than 3,300 people wounded.

The Israeli military said one of the people killed was a senior militant from Hamas who fired rockets into Israel.

Israeli security officials said militants in Gaza fired more than 20 rockets on Saturday. (dpa)