The political echelon expects the international community to begin pressuring Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire, the government said Sunday.
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Egypt attempted to broker a ceasefire on Friday, but failed. An official involved in the talks told Israel Hayom that both sides rejected all proposals for a truce, especially Israel. According to the official, the IDF is intent on completing its operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and only then would be open to a ceasefire.
As of Sunday afternoon, no country has pressured Israel to stop its operation in Gaza. In fact, many expressed full support for the country's right to defend itself.
On Tuesday, European Union foreign ministers will hold urgent video talks on the escalating fighting between Israel and Hamas, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced on Twitter.
"In view of the ongoing escalation between Israel and Palestine and the unacceptable number of civilian casualties, I am convening an extraordinary VTC of the EU Foreign Ministers on Tuesday," Borrell said.
"We will coordinate and discuss how the EU can best contribute to end the current violence."
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday called on the UN Security Council to seek an early de-escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas, and blamed the U. for the council's lack of action so far.
"Regrettably, the council has so far failed to reach an agreement, with the United States standing on the opposite side of international justice," the state-run Xinhua News Agency quoted Wang as saying in a phone conversation Saturday with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
He expressed support for a two-state solution, and said China, which holds the Security Council presidency this month, expects all parties to speak with a unified voice when the council discusses the conflict later Sunday.
Wang said the Security Council should reconfirm a two-state solution and urge Palestinians and Israelis to resume talks on that basis as soon as possible.
On Saturday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US President Joe Biden by phone.
"The President reaffirmed his strong support for Israel's right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. He condemned these indiscriminate attacks against towns and cities across Israel," the White House published in a statement afterward.
Biden updated Netanyahu on high-level US engagement with regional partners on the issue. The US President also raised concerns about the safety of journalists and reinforced the need to ensure their protection, the statement said.
Also, Biden condemned intercommunal violence across Israel and commended the government's efforts to hold rioters accountable and establish order. The two agreed to be in touch in the days ahead.
i24NEWS contributed to this report
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