ISTANBUL

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Tuesday called the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza "utterly reckless and appalling."

"The new IDF assault on Gaza is utterly reckless and appalling. It will only bring more bloodshed, kill more innocent civilians & endanger the remaining hostages," Cooper wrote on the US social media company X.

She reiterated the need for an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, unrestricted humanitarian aid and "a path to lasting peace."

At least 18 people were killed and over 40 others injured on Tuesday when Israeli warplanes targeted several areas in Gaza City and the central part of the enclave, medical sources told Anadolu.

Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza has killed nearly 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023 and devastated the enclave, which faces famine.

A UN inquiry released on Tuesday found that Israel’s war on Gaza is a genocide. "It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention," said Navi Pillay, chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Israel is separately facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war in the territory.