UK, France, Germany urge Gaza ceasefire, ask Israel to restore humanitarian access

The governments of Germany, France and Britain called for an immediate return to a ceasefire in Gaza in a joint statement on Friday that also called on Israel to restore humanitarian access.

"We call on Israel to restore humanitarian access, including water and electricity, and ensure access to medical care and temporary medical evacuations in accordance with international humanitarian law", the foreign ministers of the three countries, known as the E3, said in a statement.

The ministers said they were "appalled by the civilian casualties", and also called on Palestinian Hamas militants to release Israeli hostages.

They said the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians could not be resolved through military means, and that a long-lasting ceasefire was the only credible pathway to peace.

The ministers added that they were "deeply shocked" by the incident that affected the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) building in Gaza, and called for an investigation into the incident.