European Union foreign ministers have issued a joint statement calling for a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East. But they did not call for a formal cease-fire. Several countries, including Germany and Britain blocked the call for a cease-fire that was in the original draft statement. Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, who chaired several hours of talks in Brussels told reporters that the meaning remained the same despite the change in wording. He also denied that there were any divisions within the 25-member bloc on how to deal with the current Middle East conflict.

Source: Deutsche Welle