Eamonn Holmes (EH): Over the weekend Gordon Brown called for a ceasefire in Gaza, no sign of that this morning. Let's go to the Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell who, who's in Westminster.

It's easier said than done Bill Rammell. How, how do you think that'll come about?

Bill Rammell: Well it's a very difficult situation. It is dark and dangerous in the Middle East and I think the escalation in the last thirty six hours has caused alarm and dismay both in the region and in the wider world.
What it has done is to reinforce the need for that urgent and immediate ceasefire that we've been calling for.
We need effective access for humanitarian aid, the food, the medical equipment, the supplies that are so desperately needed. And crucially we need a reinvigorated political process because that is the only long term sustainable solution. I don't believe a military solution will achieve that.

EH: What about the British voice in the Middle East? We see President Sarkozy arriving in Jerusalem today. What ice do we cut as a nation out there?

BR: Well President Sarkozy is visiting the region. I think that's a good move. But we've certainly got influence, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have been talking literally on a daily basis to their counterparts in Israel, in the Palestinian Territories and in the wider Arab world. There's also debate taking place at the United Nations and there is intense diplomatic activity to try and get us to this ceasefire.

But I'm not going to pretend to you that any of this is easy and I can't provide glib sound bites of reassurance. What I can say is we're working night and day with every ounce of diplomatic and political pressure that we can bring to bear, to try and get us to that ceasefire.

EH: And Minister as a country are we neutral on this?

BR: I think we've taken the right position. We've condemned the rocket attacks from Hamas on the state of Israel. I visited Israel and the Palestinian Territories just before Christmas, I visited Ashkelon, I saw the, and witnessed the air raid sirens going on and I saw the massive pressure that that is bringing to bear. But similarly we've made clear that there's been a massive loss of life within the Gaza Strip. That has included civilians, women and children and it's reinforced our call for an effective and an urgent and immediate ceasefire.

EH: What's the next stage as far as the British Government is concerned?

BR: Well we are literally working hour to hour, day to day talking to all the key partners. We've got, as you've said, President Sarkozy's visit taking place. A number of the Arab leaders will be arriving in New York at the United Nations and there will be continuing debate at the UN over the next couple of days.

But we're absolutely unequivocal in our view that we need an urgent and immediate ceasefire. And I say that for a number of reasons: one, there is the tragic loss of innocent life; two, we are further away and moving further away to an effective and sustainable peace settlement in the Middle East; and thirdly there is a real risk that current actions are fuelling the activities of extremists in the region and undermining the efforts of those who are working for peace.

EH: From the Foreign Office, Bill Rammell, thanks for your time.

BR: Thank you.