Merkel, Jordan king call for 'swift' Mideast ceasefire

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Jordan's King Abdullah II urged a "swift" ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in a video call Tuesday, her spokesman said.

"They agreed that initiatives for a swift ceasefire should be supported to create the conditions for the resumption of political negotiations," the spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in a statement.