Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt Sunday praised a fresh call by the United Nations Security Council to halt the violence in Gaza.
"I welcome that the UN Security Council has now demanded an immediate halt to all military activities to and from Gaza. Both Hamas and Israel ought to, against this background, declare as quickly as possible that they are willing to return to their earlier ceasefire and halt all combat operations," Bildt was quoted by Swedish electronic newspaper The Local as saying.
The comments came as Israeli air strikes in Gaza continued for a second day in response to repeated mortar attacks launched by Palestinian militants, said The Local.
"Even if the ceasefire didn't live up to expectations, it would have been better for everyone if it had continued to be respected," said Bildt.
Israel launched a massive air raid which it said was targeted at Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning, killing more than 270 people and wounding over 900 others. Source:Xinhua
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