The leader of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has issued an appeal for an immediate cessation of hostilities between Israeli forces and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The conflict has resulted in the loss of lives on both sides, with hundreds of casualties.

Mahamat called upon both parties to return to the negotiating table unconditionally and work towards the realization of a two-state solution, where two independent states can coexist peacefully alongside each other. He emphasized the need for the international community, particularly major world powers, to take responsibility and actively work towards establishing peace while safeguarding the rights of both peoples.

In a statement shared by the 55-member African Union bloc on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) late on Saturday, Mahamat stressed that the denial of fundamental rights to the Palestinian people, including the right to an independent and sovereign state, is a primary cause of the ongoing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

The conflict escalated on Saturday when Hamas initiated a major offensive against Israel, launching thousands of rockets that reached as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Hamas fighters breached Gaza’s security barrier as part of the attack. Israel’s military reported that the assault, which included Hamas fighters targeting Israeli towns and settlements, resulted in over 700 Israeli casualties and 1,000 injuries. Gun battles continued into Sunday morning in various locations in Israel, with both Israeli forces and Hamas fighters engaged in clashes, and civilians being taken as hostages.

Officials in Gaza reported that intense Israeli airstrikes on the coastal enclave had raised the Palestinian death toll to at least 600, with nearly 1,800 individuals wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday that Israel was entering a protracted and challenging conflict, vowing that their response to Hamas would be relentless until their objectives were achieved.

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