PARIS, July 26, /ITAR-TASS/. Foreign ministers from seven nations have called for an extension of the 12-hour ceasefire between Iseral and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Saturday.
“The meeting was positive. It made it possible to reveal common positions for implementing the international initiatives over the ceasefire in Gaza,” he said.
“The foreign ministers call on the conflicting parties to extend the 12-hour truce,” Fabius said.
"We intend to persuade the parties to secure a long-term ceasefire moved ahead. The truce should meet the interests of Israel and Palestine, ensure their security,” he said.
“We agreed to involve the Palestinian Authority in carrying out these tasks,” Fabius said.
The meeting involved the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Qatar, Turkey and the United States.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton also attended the meeting at the French Foreign Ministry.
On July 8, 2014, the Israel Defence Forces announced the start of the operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip against Hamas militants. The IDF made strikes on 50 targets in the Gaza Strip, most of which were launching platforms for rockets.
The immediate reason for the operation was that cities in southern Israel were massively shelled by Hamas military wing Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. According to the Israeli army’s press service, on July 7, some 90 missiles were fired on Israel from the Gaza Strip. As of early July, 450 missiles had been fired since the start of 2014.