Israel-Gaza live: More than 52,000 Palestinians ‘displaced by airstrikes’ as Biden shows support for ceasefire

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog tracking the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli warplanes unleashed heavy airstrikes on Gaza City in overnight assault they said was aimed at destroying an underground tunnel system used by Hamas militants.

Dozens of Israeli warplanes launched a heavy bombardment of the blockaded strip just before 2am on Monday, the country’s army has said.

The army said it was once again targeting the “metro” - an underground tunnel system it has said militants are using to navigate without being tracked.

Civilians on the ground described as many as 50 airstrikes in just 10 minutes, while photos showed the night’s sky over Gaza city alight with fire.

The army said it hit a total of 35 targets, and 15km of the tunnel system.

Residents of Gaza city have said that several roads leading to the strip’s largest hospital Al-Shifa had been hit in the assault.

Witnesses also said security buildings and militant training camps had been attacked in and around Gaza City.

Militants in Gaza had continued to fire rockets at Israel up until the heavy bombardment.

The Israeli military has said that a total of 3,100 rockets have so far been fired at Israel from Gaza over the last seven days.

That number is just 900 short of the total number of rockets fired during the entirety of the 7-week 2014 Gaza war.

Photos show Gaza City alight with fire early this morning after a major bombardment from Israeli warplanes.

Israel’s army has said it launched the assault in a bid to target an underground tunnel system used by Hamas militants.

Describing the tunnel system as a “city under a city”, the army said it destroyed 15km of the underground network and hit 35 targets.

In the photo below, fire and smoke can be seen rising above buildings in Gaza City, as warplanes take aim at the Palestinian enclave.

The assault began at around 2am, with civilians on the ground describing as many as 50 airstrikes in just 10 minutes.

In the midst of international calls for calm, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the country’s campaign in Gaza at “full force”.

Speaking in a televised address after his security Cabinet met on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said the campaign would continue “for as long as necessary” until “calm and quiet” can be restored to Israel’s citizens.

“We are acting now, for as long as necessary, to restore calm and quiet to you, Israel’s citizens. It will take time,” he said.

Overnight, the Israeli army launched a fresh assault, raining airstrikes down on Gaza City in what it said was an effort to further target an underground tunnel system used by Hamas militants.

Before the airstrikes, the Gaza Health Ministry had said that at least 197 Palestinians, including 58 children, have been killed in the surge of violence that started last week.

Meanwhile, at least ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children, according to Israeli authorities.

Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy leader of Hamas, warned on Sunday that if Israel “does not want to stop” its attacks on Gaza City, then “we will not stop”.

The deputy leader made the comments speaking to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, ahead of continued airstrikes from Israel early Monday morning.

As international calls urged a cease-fire, Mr Abu Marzouk said: “If there will be one it will be reached with our conditions, not Israeli conditions.”

“If Israel does not want to stop, we will not stop,” he said.

Meanwhile, Eliezer Toledano, the general in charge of Israel’s Southern Command, told the broadcaster that it was “important” that the country “continue to exhaust the campaign that we have entered and deepen the damage being caused to Hamas”.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also vowed to continue the campaign at “full force” for “as long as necessary”.

Israel’s overnight airstrikes on Gaza City have caused major damage, Gaza’s mayor, Yahya Sarraj has said.

Speaking with Al-Jazeera TV, Mr Sarraj said the assault had caused serious damage to roads and other infrastructure.

“If the aggression continues we expect conditions to become worse,” he said.

He also warned that the territory was running low on fuel.

The United Nations has also sounded the alarm that Gaza’s only power station risks running out of fuel.

Already, the territory experiences regular power outages that can last hours, while the tap water is undrinkable.

Israel’s army has said it hit a total of 35 targets in the airstrikes and 15km of an underground tunnel system that it said it was targeting in the assault.

The army has said the tunnel system is used by Hamas operatives and is effectively a “city under a city”.

Additional reporting by PA

The Israeli army has said it has struck at least 820 targets since 10 May, when the surge of violence that has spilled into this week began.

Sharing an operational update on on Twitter, the army said it has struck at least 820 targets so far.

The military said at least 3,150 rockets have so far been fired at Israel, with the Iron Dome intercepting 90% of incoming attacks. It also said that 460 Hamas rockets have misfired.

The Israeli army also shared the death toll in Israel, with ten killed, including two children.

As of Sunday night, the Gaza Health Ministry had said that at least 197 Palestinians, including 58 children, had been killed in the surge of violence that started last week.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has that efforts are being made to protect the Jewish community amid grief and outrage over the past week’s violence.

Speaking on Sky News, Mr Khan said he had been in contact with Metropolitan Police leadership and had agreed to see an increase police presence in Jewish communities, synagogues and schools.

The London mayor said the ramped up police presence was aimed at making residents feel safe.

However, he said he also wanted to send the message to “anybody who is involved in any race crimes that action will be taken”.

“It is possible at the same time to be very angry about what is happening in Israel and Gaza and the West Bank and be heartbroken at the death and to call for a ceasefire and a de-escalation,” he said.

“What is not excusable is on the other hand is to use that as an excuse to be anti-Semitic and to be racist. There can be no excuse for that.”

“It is important for us to realise the impact of this criminal behaviour has a ripple of fear effect on Jewish Londoners and those across the country,” he said.

It is really important that we don’t bring conflicts 3,000 miles away to the capital city,” Mr Khan added.

Gaza could run out of fuel to run its power station within two days, officials have warned.

If fuel does run out, homes and hospitals will go dark in the midst of the most intense fighting in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the 2014 war.

The fighting has also damaged power lines to Israel, which Israeli media has said has cut more than 230,000 Gazans off from electricity.

Middle East correspondent Bel Trew has more:

Protests in support of Palestinians were held in countries around the world over the weekend.

From the US to the UK and Spain to Indonesia, thousands joined marches and demonstrations against Israel’s airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

At least 197 Palestinians have been killed in the recent surge in fighting, including 58 children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children, Israeli officials have said.