China said on Tuesday it was "shocked" by an Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital in which five journalists were among at least 20 people killed.

"We are shocked and condemn the fact that medical personnel and journalists have once again unfortunately lost their lives in the conflict," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said when asked about the strikes.

"We express our condolences to the victims and our sympathies to their families."

Reuters, the Associated Press and Al Jazeera all issued statements mourning their slain contributors, while the Israeli military said it would investigate the incident.

The ongoing war in Gaza has been one of the deadliest for journalists, with around 200 media workers killed over the course of the nearly two-year Israeli assault, according to media watchdogs.

"China is highly concerned about the current situation in the Gaza Strip," Guo said, adding China condemns "all actions that harm civilians... including acts of violence against journalists".

"Israel should immediately stop its military operations in Gaza, achieve a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible, fully restore the entry of humanitarian supplies, prevent a larger-scale humanitarian crisis, and work to ease tensions as quickly as possible."

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