German minister to visit Middle East again for ceasefire

Source: Xinhua | 01-15-2009 08:24

BERLIN, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will pay another visit to the Middle East for ceasefire, said a Foreign Ministry spokesman on Wednesday.

Steinmeier planned to visit Jerusalem, the West Bank town of Ramallah and the Egyptian capital Cairo to push the course of ceasefire in Gaza, said by spokesman Jens Ploetner.

Steinmeier has visited Israel and Egypt over the weekend and proposed a work plan for creating conditions for the ceasefire. The plan mainly includes ensuring the security of the borders through effective consultations and preventing the smuggling of weapons into Gaza.

On Tuesday, Steinmeier called for a swift ceasefire in the Palestinian territory of Gaza after holding a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni. He urged all relevant parties to work effectively toward the goal of a ceasefire.

The ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza, which began late December, has killed over 950 Palestinians in the coastal strip.

Editor:Zhang Yun