Smoke billows during Israeli strikes west of Gaza City on March 18, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Capitals: Arab and European nations, along with international organisations, have condemned the resumption of Israeli aggression on Gaza, describing it as a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and a dangerous escalation threatening regional stability.
These entities called on the international community to intervene immediately to halt the aggression, prevent the region from descending into renewed cycles of violence, and allow mediators to continue efforts toward achieving a permanent ceasefire.
In this context, the Arab League denounced the brutal airstrikes carried out by Israeli forces on Gaza, which resulted in hundreds of casualties, mostly women and children. The League emphasised that the resumption of bombing in Gaza is an inhumane act and a challenge to the international will that supported the ceasefire.
The Arab League stressed the need for the international community to speak out against this massacre targeting a besieged population deprived of medical and humanitarian aid in an unprecedented campaign of starvation, systematic killing, and ethnic cleansing.
The United Nations also expressed shock at the renewed Israeli aggression on Gaza, urging respect for the ceasefire agreement announced last January.
UN spokesperson Rolando Gomez stated at a press conference in Geneva that the Secretary-General is shocked by the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, appealing for the ceasefire to be respected and for unhindered humanitarian aid to resume.
Similarly, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed his shock at the Israeli airstrikes, calling for an immediate end to "this nightmare."
In a statement, Turk emphasised that the only way forward is a political settlement in accordance with international law, adding that Israel's continued use of military force would only exacerbate the suffering of the Palestinian people, who are already enduring catastrophic conditions.
The High Commissioner stressed the need for the war to end completely and urged all influential parties to do everything possible to achieve peace and prevent further civilian suffering.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also strongly condemned the Israeli occupation forces' dangerous attacks on Gaza, which constituted a clear violation of the ceasefire. These attacks resulted in more innocent casualties and worsened the humanitarian situation in the Strip.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi stated that this escalation represents a blatant violation of international charters and a threat to regional security and stability. He reiterated the GCC's call for the international community to assume its responsibilities and pressure Israeli forces to halt these attacks.
Al Budaiwi emphasised the importance of reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, ensuring regional security and stability, and adhering to international resolutions and the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.
Egypt also condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, which targeted civilians, mostly women and children, describing them as a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and a dangerous escalation threatening regional stability.
In a statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected all Israeli actions aimed at reigniting tensions in the region and undermining efforts to restore calm and stability.
The Ministry called on the international community to intervene immediately to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza, urging all parties to exercise restraint and allow mediators to continue their efforts toward achieving a permanent ceasefire.
Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the resumption of Israeli aggression on Gaza, denouncing the direct targeting of densely populated civilian areas without any regard for international humanitarian law.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, emphasised the importance of immediately halting Israeli violence, killings, and destruction, while protecting Palestinian civilians from the unjust Israeli war machine.
The statement underscored the necessity for the international community to urgently fulfill its responsibilities by intervening to stop these crimes and end the severe humanitarian suffering inflicted on the Palestinian people.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the international community to put an end to what he described as Israels genocide policy toward Gaza, asserting that the resumption of Israeli attacks on Gaza is unacceptable. He stressed, in a statement, the importance of ensuring a return to the ceasefire as soon as possible.
In the same context, Jordanian Prime Minister Dr. Jaafar Hassan declared that the war waged by Israel on Gaza is a war against humanity, urging the international community to take action to end this barbarism that has affected children, women, and unarmed civilians.
Hassan emphasised that supporting and strengthening the steadfastness of Palestinians on their land is the only guarantee for restoring their full rights, foremost among them the establishment of their independent and sovereign state on the June 4, 1967, borders, based on the two-state solution.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares expressed his governments rejection of the resumption of Israeli indiscriminate bombing against civilians in Gaza, warning that this is not the path to peace and security.
Albares, in a press statement, called for rejecting and condemning this new wave of violence and bombings targeting civilians randomly. He also reiterated Spains condemnation of Israels decision to suspend humanitarian aid to Gaza and cut off its electricity supply.
He stressed the need for a permanent ceasefire, ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid to the Strip, and advancing toward the implementation of the two-state solution.
Similarly, Belgium condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and warned of their severe humanitarian consequences. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot stated that the agreement between Israel and Hamas is clear and stipulates a ceasefire.
He criticised the new Israeli airstrikes and their grave consequences, stressing that blocking humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians constitutes a serious violation of international law.
He called on all parties to implement the second phase of the agreement, which should pave the way for reconstruction and peace for all.
France also condemned Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, calling for an immediate halt to Israeli bombardments and urging the protection of civilians as well as the restoration of water and electricity networks in Gaza.
In a statement, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Israeli forces to immediately cease hostilities that threaten efforts to release prisoners and endanger civilians in Gaza.
The statement urged all parties to fully respect the ceasefire agreement and engage in negotiations in good faith to make it sustainable.
The Ministry further called on Israeli forces to ensure lasting protection for all civilians, restore electricity and water supplies to Gaza, and remove obstacles to the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip without delay.
More than 400 people were killed since dawn today in a series of brutal massacres carried out by Israeli forces, following widespread airstrikes across Gaza.
