According to local media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a state of emergency in the city of Lod late Tuesday after mass riots erupted amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hamas.

Netanyahu spent Tuesday night in the mixed Jewish-Arab city, decrying the "anarchy" in the streets that left 12 people wounded, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

According to news media, the crowd fought with police and set fire to a synagogue and 30 cars, including a police car.

Yair Revivo, the mayor of the city, called the situation as "civil war."