Egypt condemns Israel's continued military offensives in Gaza

CAIRO - The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned the ongoing Israeli military offensives in Gaza as a persistent violation of international humanitarian law.

Israel's "military expansion" contradicts intensive global mediation efforts, including the joint effort by Egypt and Qatar to halt the war through a new ceasefire proposal, and reflects a complete absence of Israeli will to end the Gaza war, de-escalate regional tensions, and restore calm and peace, the ministry said in a statement.

Israel retreats from the peace process based on the two-state solution, which is supported by the international community, the ministry said, adding that the Israeli policies of starvation and siege against defenseless civilians in Gaza threaten to multiply the catastrophic humanitarian consequences in the enclave.

On Aug 8, Israel announced that its Security Cabinet had approved a plan to take over Gaza City, which immediately drew condemnation both domestically and internationally.

On Friday, the Israeli military said it had begun the preliminary operations and initial stages of the attack on Gaza City, and is operating with great intensity on the outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the daily 10-hour humanitarian pause in the city is canceled, adding that the city now constitutes a "dangerous combat zone".

Since Oct 7, 2023, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed 63,557 people and injured 160,660 others, Gaza-based health authorities said Monday, adding that starvation and malnutrition in Gaza have caused 348 deaths, including 127 children.