UN chief Antonio Guterres voiced shock Tuesday, March 18, after hundreds were killed in the most intense Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since a fragile ceasefire took effect in January. "The secretary-general is shocked by the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza," UN spokesman Rolando Gomez told a press briefing in Geneva. "He strongly appeals for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be re-established, and for the remaining hostages to be released unconditionally."
Israel on Tuesday vowed to continue fighting in the Gaza Strip until the return of all hostages as it unleashed its most intense strikes since a truce took effect on January 19. The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory reported at least 413 people killed in the latest strikes.
Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deciding to "resume war" after an impasse in truce negotiations, and warned that the return to fighting could be a "death sentence" for hostages still alive in Gaza.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said resuming the war would fuel "hell on Earth." "Awful scenes of civilians killed, among them children, following waves of heavy bombardment from Israeli forces overnight," the UNRWA chief said on X. "Fuelling 'hell on Earth' by resuming the war will only bring more despair and suffering. A return to the ceasefire is a must."
'Tragedy onto tragedy'
UN rights chief Volker Türk said he was horrified by the strikes. "This will add tragedy onto tragedy," he said in a statement. "This nightmare must end immediately," Türk said, adding that "the last 18 months of violence have made abundantly clear that there is no military path out of this crisis." "The only way forward is a political settlement, in line with international law. Israel's resort to yet more military force will only heap further misery upon a Palestinian population already suffering catastrophic conditions," he said.
"The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. All those arbitrarily detained must be released immediately and unconditionally. The war must end permanently," Türk said. "We urge all parties with influence to do all in their power to achieve peace and avoid further suffering of civilians."
The EU's aid commissioner called Tuesday for an immediate end to the renewed violence in Gaza. "The renewed escalation in Gaza is devastating. Civilians have endured unimaginable suffering. This must stop," Commissioner Hadja Lahbib wrote on X, saying "it is imperative to return to a ceasefire immediately."
France also denounced Israel's strikes on Gaza: "France condemns the Israeli strikes carried out since yesterday on the Gaza Strip, which have caused numerous civilian casualties," the French foreign ministry said. "France calls for an immediate end to hostilities, which are jeopardising efforts to free the hostages and threatening the lives of the civilian population in Gaza," it added.
In a statement, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called the strikes a "continuation of the genocide and ethnic cleansing" in the Palestinian territories and accused the United States of "direct responsibility" in the attack. Baqaei warned of the "catastrophic consequences and implications of this situation on global peace and security."
The Egyptian foreign ministry condemned Israel's strikes on the Gaza Strip, calling them a "flagrant violation" of the ceasefire that took effect on January 19. The strikes constitute a "dangerous escalation which threatens to bring serious consequences for the stability of the region", said the statement from Egypt, which brokered the Gaza ceasefire alongside Qatar and the United States. It called on the international community to "act immediately to halt the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip in order to prevent the region entering a new spiral of violence and counterviolence."
Jordan, which like Egypt neighbors Israel, also condemned the strikes. "We have been following since last night Israel's aggressive and barbaric bombing of the Gaza Strip," government spokesman Mohammed Momani said, underlining "the need to stop this aggression."
Russia also condemned Israel's renewed strikes on the Gaza strip. "Moscow deeply regrets Israel's resumption of its military operation in the Gaza Strip," the Russian foreign ministry said. "Russia strongly condemns any action that leads to the death of civilians and destruction of social infrastructure."
The British government called on Israel and Hamas to implement their ceasefire agreement for Gaza "in full," urging all parties to "return urgently to dialogue" to end fighting. "We want to see this ceasefire agreement re-established as soon as possible," said Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesman, adding that reported civilian casualties from Israeli strikes overnight were "appalling."