CAIRO, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Egypt, Kuwait and Bahrain warned on Tuesday that renewed Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip threaten regional peace and stability.
The remarks were made during separate phone conversations between Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Egyptian Presidency said in two statements.
Sisi and Al-Sabah condemned Israel's resumption of hostilities in Gaza, which has so far resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties, including children and women, the presidency said.
The two leaders affirmed that the Israeli attacks constitute a flagrant violation of international law and the ceasefire agreement that has been reached, affirming the Israeli airstrikes are also part of deliberate attempts to make Gaza unlivable and drive Palestinians to emigrate.
The Egyptian president and the emir of Kuwait stressed the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities to push for an immediate ceasefire, implement the two-state solution, and establish a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian president and king of Bahrain emphasized the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, calling on the international community to protect the people of Gaza from the "brutal aggression they are facing."
They also reiterated the importance of fully adhering to the decisions of the recent extraordinary Arab summit hosted in Cairo, particularly the Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.
Both sides stressed their total rejection of any actions or decisions that would lead to the displacement of Palestinians from their lands, affirming that the establishment of a Palestinian state is the only guarantee for achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.
Early Tuesday, Israel launched massive airstrikes across Gaza, killing more than 400 people and shattering a fragile ceasefire that took effect on Jan. 19.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said later in the day that Israel would escalate its renewed assault on the enclave and that "from now on, the negotiations (on Gaza ceasefire) will take place only under fire." ■
