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From the Liveblog of Saturday, July 26, 2014

French FM calls for long-term truce that addresses Israel’s concerns

26 July 2014, 5:08 pm

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Foreign Ministers from seven nations are calling for an extension of the 12-hour humanitarian cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Saturday also urged world leaders to negotiate a long-term truce that addresses Israel’s concerns about security while also trying to accommodate Palestinian demands to open borders to more people living in Gaza and spurring economic development there.

Fabius spoke on behalf of diplomats from Britain, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Qatar, and the United States who gathered for a day of talks in Paris.

The French diplomat also raised concerns for civilians in both Gaza and Israel who have been caught in the crossfire of the war that is now in its third week.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, third from left, stands with from left, Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini after their meeting regarding a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, Saturday, July 26, 2014, at the foreign ministry in Paris, France. With a 12-hour humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza Saturday, Kerry is continuing with efforts to reach a longer truce between Israel and Hamas. (photo credit: AP/Charles Dharapak)

— The Associated Press.

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