Resumption of Gaza Strip Battles Raises Concerns Over Massive Casualties... International Community Calls for Ceasefire

Israel Resumes Fighting with Hamas 7 Days After Ceasefire
14,854 Dead in Gaza Strip... Concerns of Escalation
Hostage Release by Israel Uncertain Due to Ceasefire End

The Israeli military resumed fighting with the Palestinian armed group Hamas just seven days after a temporary ceasefire, raising concerns about large-scale civilian casualties. Voices calling for the resumption of the ceasefire are growing in the international community.

On the 1st (local time), the Israeli military issued a statement declaring, "Hamas violated the suspension of military operations and fired toward Israeli territory," and announced, "We have resumed combat against the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip."

An Israeli soldier is aiming his gun while conducting an operation in the Gaza Strip after a temporary ceasefire with the Palestinian armed faction Hamas ended on the 1st (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Israeli military intercepted and shot down projectiles launched from the Gaza Strip before the scheduled end of the ceasefire at 7 a.m. (2 p.m. Korean time) that day, then deployed fighter jets and began bombing.

Accordingly, civilian deaths, which had stopped over the past week, are expected to rise sharply again.

According to the Gaza Strip Ministry of Health, as of the day before the temporary ceasefire on the 23rd of last month, the death toll in the Gaza Strip reached 14,854. Among them, about 4,000 were women and 6,150 were children.

The New York Times (NYT) evaluated that considering the fighting period before the temporary ceasefire was only 48 days, this number of deaths is unprecedented in the 21st century.

Analysts say that the damage increased as the Israeli military launched airstrikes using massive bombs in the densely populated Gaza Strip. This led to the collapse of the Gaza Strip’s medical system, further spreading civilian casualties.

Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO), warned at a briefing on the 28th of last month, "If we cannot revive the health system in the Gaza Strip, we may see more people dying from disease than from the bombings."

On the 1st (local time), smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. [Image source=Yonhap News]

If the Israeli military attacks the southern region to find Hamas members presumed to have fled and hidden in southern Gaza, the damage is expected to increase further.

With the resumption of war, additional hostage releases have become uncertain. During the ceasefire period, 105 hostages, including foreigners, abducted by Hamas were released, and Israel freed 240 Palestinian prisoners.

It is estimated that 137 Israeli hostages captured during Hamas’s surprise attack on October 7 and taken to the Gaza Strip remain.

Previously, both sides agreed in the temporary ceasefire to release 50 hostages by Hamas over four days, while Israel would release 150 Palestinian prisoners. After four days, if Hamas released an additional 10 hostages per day, the ceasefire would be extended by one day at a time, leading to an additional three days of ceasefire.

However, with the end of the ceasefire, the release of the remaining hostages held in the Gaza Strip has become uncertain.

The international community is increasingly calling for a ceasefire. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which mediated the ceasefire negotiations, expressed "deep regret over Israel’s resumption of attacks on the Gaza Strip" in a statement that day.

It added, "The bombing of the Gaza Strip after the end of the ceasefire complicates mediation efforts and worsens the humanitarian disaster," emphasizing, "We condemn all forms of attacks and punishments targeting civilians."

On the 1st (local time), in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, Palestinians are leaving their homes due to Israeli airstrikes, while a child sits on a trailer.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Catherine Colonna, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, also said, "The breakdown of the ceasefire (extension) agreement is very bad news and regrettable," pointing out that "resuming the ceasefire is crucial."

Russia issued a Kremlin statement expressing hope for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, while Iran blamed Israel and the United States for the resumption of fighting and called again for a ceasefire.

James Elder, spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), criticized, "A permanent ceasefire must be achieved in the Gaza Strip," adding, "Taking no action after the ceasefire breakdown is tantamount to approving the killing of children."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.