The Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan says he believes a third-party intervention will be necessary to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.
Speaking before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels this morning, the Minister said it was regrettable that a deal brokered by Egypt last week was not accepted by both Israel and Hamas.
More than 560 Palestinians have been killed including 100 children during the 15-day conflict.
Minister Flanagan says a two-state solution was desirable in the long-term, but for now a ceasefire was the EU's top priority.