BRUSSELS, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The Council of European Union (EU) on Thursday condemned the collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza, expressing concern over the renewed violence and its devastating humanitarian impact.

The Council stressed that it "deplores the refusal of Hamas to hand over the remaining hostages", calling for an "immediate return to the full implementation of the ceasefire-hostage release agreement," according to a statement released by the Council.

The Council underscored the urgency of advancing to the second phase of the agreement, emphasizing that its full implementation is essential for securing the release of all hostages and achieving a permanent cessation of hostilities.

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement ended on March 1. Under the terms of the deal, in the second phase, Israel was supposed to have completely withdrawn its forces, and Hamas was expected to release the remaining hostages. Instead, Israel sought to extend the first phase, calling on Hamas to release an additional 11 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas, for its part, insisted on continuing the implementation of the original agreement. Mediated talks over the next stages of the ceasefire continued through Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, but no agreement was reached.

Israel carried out deadly bombardments across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, breaking nearly two months of ceasefire and raising fears of fully reigniting the 17-month war. Enditem

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