Egypt decries Israeli attacks on Gaza as ‘blatant violation’ of ceasefire deal

At least 404 Palestinians killed, hundreds injured in renewed Israeli airstrikes on Gaza despite ceasefire

CAIRO/ISTANBUL

Egypt denounced renewed Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday as a “blatant violation” of a ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli army pounded the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing at least 404 people and injuring hundreds, breaking the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Jan. 19.

Images emerging from Gaza showed that the majority of the victims were civilians, including women and children, whose homes were bombed during the night.

“(The assault) constitutes a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and represents a dangerous escalation that threatens to have severe consequences for the stability of the region," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Egypt reiterated its complete rejection of all Israeli attacks aimed at re-igniting tension in the region and thwarting efforts to achieve de-escalation.

It called on the international community to intervene immediately to halt the Israeli assault on Gaza "to prevent the region from falling back into a renewed cycle of violence and counter-violence.”

The ministry called on all parties to exercise restraint and allow mediators to complete their efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire.

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.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year 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.