Czech FM calls for immediate ceasefire
Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said in a statement that the launching of Israeli land operations was "not surprising" after indications that Israel had been considering the step. "But even the undisputable right of the state to defend itself does not allow actions which largely affect civilians," he said.
"We call for the facilitation of humanitarian aid to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, and in accordance with the position agreed by EU foreign ministers in Paris on the 30th December 2008 we call for the establishment of a ceasefire." (Reuters)
