Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat called on Wednesday for an emergency Arab summit in a bid to achieve a ceasefire in both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

Erekat told the "Voice of Palestine" radio that holding an emergency Arab summit as soon as possible was necessary to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

"The aim (of the summit) is to end the Israeli war in Lebanon and stop the ongoing destruction and killings in the Gaza Strip," said Erekat, adding "military operations and aggressions cannot solve the problems in the region."

"Only political and diplomatic solutions can guarantee getting our region out of the cycle of violence," he said, warning that more violence would further complicate the situation.

Israel has pressed ahead an over-one-month-old air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip in a bid to rescue an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Palestinian gunmen on June 25 and halt Palestinian rocket fire.

On another front, Israel launched a massive assault in Lebanon on July 12 following the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Lebanon's Hezbollah guerillas.

Source: Xinhua