Israeli airstrike fells Gaza tower & Hamas launches rocket attacks - UN warns of war

THE UN has warned the Israeli-Palestinian violence is heading for a "full-scale war" after Hamas fired 1,000 rockets and riots erupted near Tel Aviv.

Rockets streamed out of Gaza and Israel pounded the territory with airstrikes this morning in the most deadly outbreak of violence since the 2014 war - with no endgame in sight.

As the UN Security Council readied for another emergency meeting on the bloody crisis, the UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland warned that "we're escalating towards a full-scale war".

"Leaders on all sides have to take the responsibility of de-escalation," he said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged 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," he said.

More than 1,000 rockets have been fired towards Israel by Palestinian militants since Monday evening, the Israeli army said.

Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas said it launched an offensive last night after a 13-storey residential block in the Gaza Strip collapsed following an Israeli airstrike.