ISTANBUL

France condemned on Tuesday the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that began on Monday, resulting in many civilian casualties.

"France condemns the Israeli strikes carried out since yesterday on the Gaza Strip, which have caused a very large number of civilian casualties," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Calling for an immediate end to the violence, France warned that the ongoing hostilities "compromise efforts to free the hostages and threaten the lives of Gaza’s civilian population."

The statement urged all parties to "return to full respect for the ceasefire" and to engage in "good-faith negotiations to make it permanent."

France also called on Israeli authorities to "ensure the permanent protection of all civilians, restore access to water and electricity, and immediately lift obstacles to the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza."

The statement reiterated its demand for "the unconditional release of all hostages still being held in Gaza."

The Israeli army pounded the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing at least 404 Palestinians, injuring hundreds of others, and breaking a ceasefire agreement with Hamas that took effect on Jan. 19.

More than 48,500 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 112,000 others injured in a brutal Israeli military campaign in Gaza since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.