Violence continues to escalate between the Israeli military and Gaza - leaving the death toll at 35. Among those 35 casualties are 12 children.

Violence broke out after the Israeli Supreme Court upheld plans to evict Palestinians from Jerusalem.

And tensions rose on Tuesday, May 11, after a huge 13-storey building - the largest in Gaza - collapsed as a result of an Israeli strike, Al Jazeera reported.

The collapse of the building could have resulted in far more casualties, however, the residents of the Hanadi tower were fortunately evacuated ahead of the strikes.

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The building collapsed almost instantly, and Hamas - which had an office within the building - has claimed that 130 rockets were launched in the violent attack.

Video footage of the attack shared online showed three plumes of thick, black smoke rising from the building. Electricity in the surrounding area went out instantly, forcing locals in the area resort to flashlights as they fled.

Shortly after the attack, Hamas said they would respond by firing rockets at Tel Aviv, with several people being left wounded later in the city, per BBC News.

Per Al Jazeera, Hamas's armed wing said: "We are now carrying out our promise. The Qassam Brigades are launching their biggest rocket strike against Tel Aviv and its suburbs, with 130 rockets, in response to the enemy's targeting of residential towers."

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The current rate of airstrikes in Gaza is the most intense since the bombardment in 2014.

Other residential buildings were also under attack on Tuesday, leaving at least two people dead and at least 233 injured.

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The deadly violence has forced Gaza's health ministry to speak out, saying that Israel's military has renewed its bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip, per Al Jazeera.

Salameh Marouf, the head of the Gaza-based government information office, told the publication: "The Israeli occupation carried out more than 56 air strikes against the Gaza Strip in which more than 120 missiles were used against civilian targets.

"Israel intentionally targeted service facilities, such as near the water desalination facility to the north of Gaza, which put it out of service."

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Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has also declared an emergency in the town of Lod, southeast of Tel Aviv, following what police called "wide-scale riots" by supporters of the Palestinians.

Vowing to continue attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, he said in a nationally televised speech late on Tuesday that Hamas "have paid, and will pay a heavy price".

Per BBC, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said that Israeli strikes so far on Palestinians were "just the beginning."

"This is just the beginning. Terror organizations have been hit hard and will continue to be hit because of their decision to hit Israel. We'll return peace and quiet, for the long term."

Featured image credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy

Largest 13-storey building in Gaza collapses after Israeli air strike as death toll soars to 35