German foreign minister hopeful of Gaza ceasefire

Berlin: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday that he is hopeful of the possibility of a ceasefire in Gaza.

Steinmeier met over the weekend with officials including his Israeli counterpart, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

He stressed the need to stop the smuggling of weapons to Hamas, saying that it is "the key question for moving from a humanitarian cease-fire to a permanent cease-fire."

Steinmeier said Germany can help Egyptian border control efforts with technical help, training and other cooperation.