RAMALLAH, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Wednesday for a ceasefire to include the Palestinian territories by halting the war in the Gaza Strip and ending Israeli "aggression" and settler "terrorism" in the West Bank.

In a press statement, the ministry stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to end "the long-standing Israeli occupation, which is the root cause of instability and the absence of rights, security, peace, and stability."

The statement commended the initiatives led by various countries to achieve a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, emphasizing that diplomacy and dialogue must form the basis of a solution and stressing the necessity of upholding the security, sovereignty, resources, territorial integrity, and stability of the region's countries.

On Tuesday, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. The two sides are scheduled to begin negotiations in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on Friday.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would comply with the truce but would continue military operations in Lebanon. ■