Tashkent - Together - The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Central Asia called, on Monday, for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to devastating and continuous Israeli aggression for more than 6 months. This came in a joint statement, following the second ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the two sides in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The Gulf Cooperation Council includes: Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, and Kuwait, while the Central Asian countries include: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. The foreign ministers of both sides called on the international community to "take a serious and firm stance for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and provide protection for civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank." They also called on Israel to "fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law to provide all humanitarian assistance and basic needs to the people of Gaza without hindrance." The ministers stressed "the necessity of (re)operating the electricity and water lines, and allowing the entry of fuel, food and medicine for the residents of Gaza." Source: Maan News Agency