The European Union (EU) urged Israel to end its military operations and reiterated its call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas.

VALLETTA, March 18 (Xinhua) -- European countries have strongly condemned the latest deadly Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

The airstrikes, which took place early Tuesday, killed at least 413 Palestinians and injured 562 others, according to Gaza-based health authorities.

The European Union (EU) urged Israel to end its military operations and reiterated its call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas, according to a joint statement issued Tuesday by Kaja Kallas, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, along with commissioners Dubravka Suica and Hadja Lahbib.

The EU called on Israel to exercise restraint and allow the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid and electricity into Gaza. "We call on all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law. The EU believes that the resumption of negotiations is the only way forward," the statement added.

"France calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, which jeopardize efforts to free the hostages and threaten the lives of the civilian population in Gaza," the French Foreign Ministry said during an online press conference.

The French government urged all parties to respect the ceasefire and engage in negotiations to ensure its sustainability. Additionally, France called on Israeli authorities to protect civilians and allow access to water, electricity, and humanitarian aid.

Speaking before the Italian Parliament ahead of this week's European Council meeting in Brussels, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed deep concern over the renewed fighting in Gaza. She called for an immediate ceasefire and urged all parties to prioritize peace and humanitarian aid.

"We are following with great concern the resumption of fighting in Gaza," Meloni said. "It jeopardizes the peace objectives we are all working toward, including the release of all hostages, a permanent end to the hostilities, and the return of humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela condemned the "barbarous attacks" on Gaza in a post on X. "On behalf of the Maltese government, I strongly condemn these barbarous attacks. I cannot emphasize enough Malta's plight for peace, in Gaza, Ukraine and beyond."

Slovenia also called on Israel to immediately cease all operations. "All parties must return to negotiations leading to a lasting peace and a two-state solution," the Foreign Ministry said in a post on X. It urged Israel to "cease all military operations immediately and allow all hostages to be returned," while also calling for the restoration of full humanitarian access.

While speaking to the press in New Delhi after his speech at the Raisina Dialogue multilateral conference in India, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar expressed concern over the latest developments in Gaza. He noted that the previous ceasefire had proved fragile and stressed the need to comply with international law in resolving the conflict.

The strikes, which ended nearly two months of ceasefire, occurred amid ongoing indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at securing a new truce that could include both the release of hostages and an end to hostilities.