German chancellor urges Israel to finalise ceasefire deal

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call to finalise a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of Israeli captives, a German government spokesperson said on Sunday.

Scholz told Netanyahu that while many of Israel's military objectives in its fight against Hamas had been achieved, the civilian casualties and human suffering in Gaza have been immense.

"An end to the war in Gaza would be a decisive step towards a regional de-escalation," the government spokesperson said.