Isreal has declared a state of emergency in the central city of Lod as tensions with Gaza continue to escalate.

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

Per Al Jazeera, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared an emergency in 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".

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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."

The violence - which has already seen 40 casualties on both sides, including that of 12 children - saw UN envoy warn the two sides were heading "towards a full-scale war".

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Hostilities between Israel and Hamas escalated overnight, with at least 35 killed in Gaza and five in Israel in the most intensive aerial exchanges for years.

United Nations Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland tweeted: "Stop the fire immediately. We're escalating towards a full-scale war. Leaders on all sides have to take the responsibility of de-escalation.

"The cost of war in Gaza is devastating & is being paid by ordinary people. UN is working w/ all sides to restore calm. Stop the violence now."

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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.

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."

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

Featured image credit: REUTERS / Alamy

State of emergency: Five dead in Israel as United Nations envoy warns of 'full-scale war'