(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Tuesday gave his full backing to the Egyptian initiative to try to arrange a cease-fire in Gaza and halt the fighting between Israel and the Hamas forces there, the Foreign Ministry said.
Fabius said in a statement that he had spoken with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukri to discuss the Egyptian proposal earlier in the evening.
"I spoke with my Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukri. I reiterated the full support of France for the initiative by Egypt, backed by the Arab league, with a view to an immediate cease-fire," Fabius declared.
"This positive initiative has been accepted by the Israeli government but rejected until now by Hamas," the Foreign Minister noted.
He said France was "calling on all parties" to put the cease-fire in place without delay.
"All efforts must converge to put a stop to the violence and assure the protection of civilian populations," Fabius added.
He added that to get a lasting truce, France believes that the "legitimate" security needs of Israel must be addressed and also the "humanitarian and economic needs" of the Palestinians must also be catered to.
Fabius also called for the Palestinian Authority to be "closely associated" with the process to end the hostilities and get a lasting truce.
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