Image source, Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin has lent his voice to calls for an immediate end to the violence between Israel and the Palestinians which he said had "led to a large number of victims among the peaceful populations, including children".

"We believe it imperative that violent actions by both sides cease, and an active search begin for a solution based on relevant resolutions by the UN Security Council - and generally recognised principles of international law, of course," Mr Putin added.

Image source, Reuters

Health officials in Gaza say that they've had no reports of Palestinians killed overnight in Israeli air strikes.

This is the first apparent reduction of casualties since the fighting erupted on 10 May.

A witness from Reuters news agency also said Palestinian rockets were fired less frequently towards Israel between midnight and 10:00 (07:00 GMT).

However, several warning sirens were set off in cities in southern Israel, sending people running to shelters.

Barbara Plett Usher
BBC News, Washington

Joe Biden is a traditional pro-Israel Democrat. That's different from Donald Trump who actually changed US policy to adopt Israel's positions in its conflict with the Arabs. Biden has quietly begun to reverse some, although not all, of that.

But when it comes to air wars with Palestinian militants, he is following a familiar pattern. All US administrations strongly support Israel's right to defend itself against rocket fire.

Analysts say in the initial phase they generally refrain from public criticism of Israeli air strikes, including at the United Nations, apparently allowing a window of time for Israel to take out militant leaders and infrastructure. However, if the conflict goes on and civilian deaths mount, sometimes they become more critical and start pressing Israel to wind down its military campaign.

In this case Hamas' firepower has been more sustained and intense than before. But President Biden has now publicly expressed support for a ceasefire in his call with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and discussed with him "progress in Israel's military operations against Hamas."

So perhaps this is the beginning of a new phase.

The BBC’s Rushdi Abualouf in Gaza has been tweeting about the events of last night, when Israeli warplanes carried out more than 60 air strikes on Gaza and Palestinian militants fired 90 rockets towards southern Israel following a brief lull in the hostilities.

Image source, Reuters

As international outrage mounts over the number of civilians being killed in Gaza, Israel is trying to explain its actions, writes the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams.

In a flurry of briefings, senior military officials have been describing the objectives and timeline of an operation one of them said "might stay like this for a while".

At least 212 Palestinians having been killed in Gaza, including almost 100 women and children. Israel says at least 150 of those are militants, and that it's not intentionally targeting civilians in its operation against Hamas.

This, our correspondent says, is the problem for Israel. How do you fight a war in one of the poorest, most densely populated places on earth, against an enemy who uses this to his advantage?

Read more from Paul Adams here.

Israeli forces downed a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle that approached the country's border with Jordan earlier on Tuesday, the military says.

They did not say where the aircraft might have originated.

Israel borders Jordan to the east. Jordan is a historically strong ally of the Palestinians, but normalised relations with Israel in 1994.

Yolande Knell
BBC Middle East correspondent, Jerusalem

Buildings shook as Israeli air strikes continued in Gaza overnight. At dawn, militants launched dozens more rockets at southern Israel. So far international diplomatic efforts to stop the deadly fighting have achieved few results.

However, in a call, President Biden told Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time, that he backed a ceasefire. That will add to pressure on Israel to seek an end to the conflict.

Earlier, speaking on television, Mr Netanyahu had said that attacks on militant sites and leaders in Gaza would carry on. There’s renewed concern the violence could spread after rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel and with calls for a general strike and protests across the Palestinian Territories and in Arab-Israeli towns.

Image source, Reuters

Welcome back to our live reporting of the conflict between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza - the worst flare-up of violence since 2014. The fighting is now in its second week and shows little sign of easing.

These are the latest developments:

• The Israeli military carried out further airstrikes this morning, destroying two buildings in Gaza City shortly after dawn and, the IDF says, destroying more Hamas tunnels
• Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israel, setting off warning sirens in cities in the south of the country and sending people running to shelters
• US President Joe Biden has voiced support for a ceasefire, telling Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that the US is working with Egypt and other nations on stopping the violence
• The death toll has now passed 200. At least 212 people, including almost 100 women and children, have been killed in Gaza, according to its health ministry. In Israel 10 people, including two children, have been killed, its medical service says
• On Tuesday Israel said at least 150 militants were among those killed in Gaza. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that runs the territory, does not give casualty figures for fighters