The death toll has risen to 36 following the recent attacks
The United Nations (UN) has warned that Israel is moving towards ‘a full-scale war’ as air force personnel continue to pound the Gaza Strip after hundreds of rockets were launched by Hamas.
In a Tweet, Tor Wennesland, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, condemned the violence.
He said: “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.”
Stop the fire immediately. We’re escalating towards a full scale war. Leaders on all sides have to take the responsibility of deescalation. 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
— Tor Wennesland (@TWennesland) May 11, 2021
This comes after Palestinian militants claim that they fired around 130 missiles at Tel Aviv after an Israeli air strike hit a tower block in the Gaza Strip.
As reported by Reuters, the 13-storey block was attacked just an hour and a half after residents and people in the nearby area were told to evacuate.
The death toll has sadly risen to 36 Palestinians, which includes 12 children, health officials said. Over 230 have reportedly been wounded.
The air force says it is targeting militants in Gaza in retaliation for earlier rocket attacks.
The militant group Hamas has increased its attacks on Israel in recent days, with militants reportedly firing more than 300 rockets towards the Israel since Monday night.
Leaders from across the globe have urged both Israel and the Palestinians to retreat from further violence, after several days of unrest Israel’s capital, Jerusalem.
On Twitter this morning, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I am urging Israel and the Palestinians to step back from the brink and for both sides to show restraint. The UK is deeply concerned by the growing violence and civilian casualties and we want to see an urgent de-escalation of tensions.”
I am urging Israel and the Palestinians to step back from the brink and for both sides to show restraint. The UK is deeply concerned by the growing violence and civilian casualties and we want to see an urgent de-escalation of tensions.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) May 12, 2021
However, despite calls to end the violence, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, called for Israel to “step up” the attacks last night, as reported by the MailOnline.
The Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said in response that “if Israel wants to escalate, we are ready for it.”
