U.S. wants immediate ceasefire, Turkish FM talks to Israel's Livni

"We would like an immediate ceasefire, absolutely," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "An immediate ceasefire that is durable, sustainable and not time-limited," he was quoted by Reuters as saying.   Â

The U.N. Security Council was to meet Tuesday in New York to weigh an Arab call for an immediate ceasefire in the 11-day conflict and for protection of Palestinian civilians, according to diplomats there.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will attend the Security Council meeting as well as consult with Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas and Babacan during her two-day visit to New York, a State Department official said.

 

Babacan said Monday that Turkey is working for a ceasefire deal that would involve international observers.

 

The chief U.S. diplomat will also consult "friends and allies," including Arab ministers, said the State Department official who asked not to be named.

 

"The purpose is to further efforts to achieve a ceasefire," the official told AFP.

 

"I don’t have any prediction for the Security Council meeting," he said when asked if there would be a vote.

 

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member body, was to chair Tuesday’s meeting, France’s U.N. Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert said.

 

Israel launched a massive air offensive on the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip on Dec. 27, and followed this with a ground invasion last Saturday night. The onslaught has resulted in the deaths of at least 580 Palestinians, including nearly 100 children, according to medics in the territory.

 

DEAL NOT FAR
"I'm convinced that there are solutions. We are not far from that. What is needed is simply for one of the players to start for things to go in the right direction," Sarkozy told reporters during a visit to French U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon.

 

Sarkozy said he was returning to Sharm el-Sheikh to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak because there was "small hope" of such a deal.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan had a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, officials said.

 

During the phone conversation, which lasted for 40 minutes, Erdogan said regarding the Israeli attack on Gaza that there must be ceasefire immediately and that Gaza could not tolerate waiting any longer.

 

Erdogan proposed that Germany and other western countries use their influence over Israel.

 

Merkel also underlined the importance of an urgent truce during the conversation with Erdogan, officials said.

 

The German chancellor said that the prevention of weapons trafficking was one of "sine qua nons" of Israel and detailed efforts are under way on this matter.

 

JALILI DUE IN TURKEY

Iran's Supreme National Security Council chief will arrive in Ankara on Wednesday to deliver President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's message regarding the Israeli offensive on Gaza, broadcaster CNNTurk reported.

 

Saeed Jalili will meet Turkish President Abdullah Gul regarding the issue, CNNTurk said.

 

Ahmet Davutoglu, chief adviser to Erdogan, attended Tuesday the meeting between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and French President Nicolas Sarkozy who started a Mideast tour to encourage a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas.

 

The meeting was attended also by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

 

Davutoglu also had a separate meeting with Assad to discuss Turkey's efforts for the solution of Gaza problem. He is expected to meet Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualem and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal later in the day.