State Of Emergency Declared As Israel Burns, Mayor Calls It 'Civil War'

A state of emergency has been declared in the central Israeli city of Lod after "wide-scale riots" broke out late Tuesday, May 11, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hamas. The government urgently dispatched several border police forces to restore order in the Jewish-Arab city.

Numerous synagogues, shops, and vehicles were set on fire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the town overnight on Tuesday.

"It’s anarchy from rioters that we cannot accept," he said, adding, "Without the rule of law, there is nothing."

Several footages posted on social media showed glimpses of the intense riot as Arab mobs marauded in the streets.

Thousands of mourners gathered in the city of Lod, Tuesday, for the funeral of Mousa Hassouna, an Arab man who was suspected to be murdered by a Jewish gunman the previous night.

"This is too big for the police," City Mayor, Yair Revivo warned before sending in the army.

The mob clashed with police, following which a synagogue and some 30 vehicles, including a police car, were set on fire, local reports said.

"This is unthinkable. Synagogues are being burned. Hundreds of cars set alight. Hundreds of Arab thugs are roaming the streets," Revivo said.

The furor soon spread to numerous other cities across Israel. Jewish revenge attacks were also reported, including in Lod, where an angry mob set a Muslim cemetery ablaze.

"Civil war has erupted in Lod… The Orthodox-nationalist community here has guns. I’m imploring them to go back home but they understandably want to protect their homes. Molotov cocktails are being thrown into [Jewish] homes. The situation is incendiary."

The violence erupted hours after Hamas and other Palestinian militants launched around 130 rockets at central Israel, claiming "victory" in what its leader Ismail Haniyeh called "the battle for Jerusalem."

Mayor Revivo said the attacks display the government’s failure in maintaining peace in the country.

"I have called on the prime minister to declare a state of emergency in Lod. To call in the IDF. To impose a curfew. To restore quiet… There is a failure of governance… This is a giant incident — an intifada of Arab Israelis. All the work we have done here for years [on coexistence] has gone down the drain," Revivo said.

The Israeli army on Wednesday, released a statement claiming to have carried out a "complex and first-of-its-kind operation," in Gaza and Khan Younis, killing several senior Hamas militant commanders in airstrikes.

The attacks were targeted on "a key part of the Hamas General Staff" who is considered close to the head of the militant group. 43 Palestinians were reportedly killed in the airstrikes in Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel will use "an iron fist if needed" to stop the Arab citizens from causing more injuries and property damage in the country.

More than 700 Palestinians were reportedly injured in clashes with Israeli security forces in Jerusalem

"All of Israel should know, this is a complete loss of control," Mayor Revivo said.