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The international community responded Tuesday to the resumption of fighting in Gaza, Israeli airstrikes across the Strip and the end of the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. The overnight strikes were coordinated with the White House and backed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The United Nations strongly condemned the strikes and expressed shock at the renewed fighting. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "shocked" and urged Israel to honor the cease-fire. He called for the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
(Photo: AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, Andrew Harnik / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said he was “horrified by last night’s Israeli airstrikes and shelling in Gaza, which killed hundreds, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in the Strip. This will add tragedy onto tragedy. Israel’s resorting to yet more military force will only heap further misery upon a Palestinian population already suffering catastrophic conditions.”
UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, Muhannad Hadi, added: "Waves of airstrikes have hit Gaza since early morning. This is unconscionable. A ceasefire must be reinstated immediately."
Russia's Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the situation in Gaza was alarming, calling it "another round of escalating tensions." The Kremlin expressed particular concern over reports of heavy civilian casualties. "We are closely monitoring the situation and waiting for calm to return," Peskov said.
China also voiced "serious concern" over the renewed fighting. Beijing’s foreign ministry urged all parties to "avoid actions that could lead to escalation" and said it was "deeply troubled by the current situation between Israel and Palestine, hoping all sides will prevent a major humanitarian crisis."
Iran said it strongly condemns a new round of Israeli attacks. Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the United States has direct responsibility for "the continuation of genocide in the occupied Palestinian territories."
Turkey, whose relations with Israel have deteriorated during the war amid harsh rhetoric from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, issued a particularly strong condemnation. Its foreign ministry called Israel’s attacks on Gaza "a new phase in its policy of genocide," against Palestinians.
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"The massacre of hundreds of Palestinians in Israel’s attacks on Gaza this morning demonstrates that [Benjamin] Netanyahu’s government’s policy of genocide has entered a new stage," Ankara said. "Israel is defying humanity through the gravest violations of international law and universal values."
Turkey urged the international community to take decisive action to uphold the cease-fire and ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza. The ministry warned that Israel was creating "a new cycle of violence" and that its "hostile approach" threatened the future of the Middle East.
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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
(צילום: Omar AL-QATTAA/AFP, רויטרס)
Egypt, which has attempted to mediate between Israel and Hamas alongside Qatar, condemned the Israeli strikes, calling them a violation of the ceasefire agreement and a "dangerous escalation" with serious consequences for regional stability. Cairo urged all parties to exercise restraint and "give mediation efforts a chance to reach a permanent agreement in Gaza."
"Egypt opposes Israel’s aggression, which is reigniting tensions in the region and calls on the international community to halt the assault on Gaza to prevent a new cycle of violence," Cairo said in a statement.
An Egyptian source told the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that "senior officials in the General Intelligence Service had urgently invited a Hamas delegation to Cairo to discuss ways to stop the aggression in Gaza."
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthis, who have been targeted by a series of U.S. strikes, said: "The Palestinian people will not stand alone in this battle. Yemen will continue its support and assistance and will escalate its confrontation measures."