A picture taken with a drone shows the remains of a tower building which was destroyed in Israeli air strikes, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence, in Gaza City May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
GAZA/JERUSALEM: Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Gaza on Wednesday and Palestinian groups fired multiple rocket barrages in the region's most intense hostilities in years.
At least 43 people have been killed in Gaza since violence escalated on Monday, according to the enclave's health ministry. Six people have been killed in Israel, medical officials said.
In Gaza, a multi-story residential building collapsed after Israel warned its occupants in advance to evacuate, and another was heavily damaged, after they were hit in the air strikes.
The heaviest offensive between Israel and Hamas since a 2014 war in the Hamas-ruled enclave has increased international concern that the situation could spiral out of control.
"Israel has gone crazy," said a man on a Gaza street, where people ran out of their homes as explosions rang out.
UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland said the United Nations was working with all sides to restore calm. Egypt made calls overnight to Palestinian leaders to urge restraint, Egyptian security sources said.
Gazans' homes shook and the sky lit up from Israeli attacks.
