During a visit to Egypt on Sunday, the European Union’s top diplomat called for an end to the renewed fighting in Gaza. She then travelled to Israel and the Palestinian territories to push for the resumption of a ceasefire. The conflict escalated again on Tuesday when Israel launched heavy airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza after talks with Hamas broke down over the next phase of the truce.

“We strongly oppose Israel’s resumption of hostilities, which caused appalling loss of life in Gaza. The killing must stop. In a new war, both sides lose,” Kaja Kallas, the EU's representative, made some remarks in Cairo alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during a press conference. “From the European side, it is very clear that Hamas must release all hostages and Israel must fully reinstate humanitarian aid into Gaza and negotiations must resume.”

After that, Kallas’ team confirmed that she had left Egypt and came to Israel. During her visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Monday, she is anticipated to “call for an immediate return to the full implementation of the ceasefire-hostage release agreement”, according to her office. Kallas will also highlight “the importance of unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza,” as the office said.

Meanwhile, the United Nations warned on Friday that conditions in Gaza had become a “nightmare” following Israel’s resumption of military operations after a six-week ceasefire. 

Aid workers warned that the situation in Gaza had become even more dire after Israel cut off aid and electricity earlier this month due to stalled ceasefire negotiations. Meanwhile, Kallas was scheduled to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and opposition leader Yair Lapid. She will not meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against him, citing “for crimes against humanity and war crimes.”

According to her office, Kallas is set to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa during her visit to the occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, Israel and the United States have recently attempted to modify the terms of the ceasefire agreement. However, Hamas, which governs Gaza, has rejected these changes, calling them a violation of the original deal signed by all parties. The initial phase of the truce allowed the delivery of essential aid, including food, shelter, and medical supplies. It facilitated an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters carried out a cross-border attack in Israel, killing over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli reports. In response, Israel launched airstrikes and a ground offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in at least 50,021 deaths, according to the Gaza health ministry on Sunday. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.