The strike, which followed warning calls and a drone-fired missile, destroyed around 100 tents sheltering families already uprooted by fighting elsewhere.
No casualties were reported, but fires spread quickly through the camp, leaving civilians sifting through the ashes of what little they had saved.
An Associated Press journalist recorded the moment of impact as civil defence teams worked to extinguish flames.
Israel’s defence minister has approved a plan to mobilise 60,000 reservists and extend service for 20,000 more, ahead of an operation targeting Gaza City and Hamas’ tunnel network. The move comes as international concerns mount about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where many inhabitants are displaced and facing the threat of famine.