The Maltese Government has welcomed the Gaza ceasefire and called on both sides to work on the agreement reached in Cairo to ensure a durable and sustainable return to peace.

Foreign Minister George Vella commended Egyptian authorities for their perseverance in securing the open-ended ceasefire following various 'botched' attempts. In the weeks ahead, Dr Vella, added, it would be very important to facilitate the return to normal livelihood of those thousands of Palestinians whose lives were so dramatically disrupted during the conflict.

"A durable ceasefire can only be effective against a backdrop of resumed peace negotiations based on an agreement on the borders of two states on 1967 borders, security arrangements that respect Palestinian sovereignty, a just resolution to the refugee question and the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both states," the minister said.

Dr Vella will be discussing the situation in Gaza with other EU foreign ministers in Milan this weekend.

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