Israel has launched intense airstrikes on the Gaza Strips, unilaterally breaking the nearly two-month-old ceasefire in the war-battered Palestinian territory. The renewed Israeli aggression has killed at least 436 people in the strip, gravely endangering peace and humanitarian efforts. The UN has said that the victims of Israeli attacks over the past two days included over 170 children and 80 women. Qatar, which had mediated the ceasefire along with Egypt and the US, and many other capitals have condemned the Israeli move. Doha has warned that the occupation’s escalating policies will ultimately ignite the region and undermine its security and stability. The Cabinet, in its meeting yesterday chaired by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, called resumption of Israeli aggression on Gaza a blatant challenge to the international will supporting peace, including the ceasefire agreement. Close to 49,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. The humanitarian conditions are worsening again after Israel blocked entry of aid and cut power supply to the territory. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday urged a “full investigation” after a UN worker died and five others were seriously injured by a strike, which the health ministry in Gaza said was conducted by Israel. Leaders from around the globe have voiced alarm over the resumption of Israeli strikes. Speaking in Paris along with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday the resumption of Israeli strikes represents a dramatic step backwards. He warned that there could be “no Israeli military solution in Gaza”. The Jordanian King called the strikes “an extremely dangerous step that adds further devastation to an already dire humanitarian situation”. The world must act to compel the Israeli entity to cease its offensive and allow delivery of humanitarian supplies in the Gaza Strip. The global community must also play its role to facilitate the implementation of the Gaza Reconstruction Plan approved at the Arab Summit held in Cairo on March 4, 2025.
