ANKARA: Belgium's foreign minister on Wednesday called on all parties in the Middle East to avoid a regional escalation as too many civilians have already been killed. Hadja Lahbib said in a statement on X following talking to her Israeli counterpart Israel Katz over the phone. "Regional escalation must be avoided at all costs. We call for the utmost restraint and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza," she wrote, stressing that "too many civilians have already lost their lives." Lahbib stressed that the two-state solution is "the only path to a lasting peace." "Negotiations to this end must continue," she noted. In a related development, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said on X on Tuesday that he had a phone conversation with acting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri. "I expressed my concerns about the high risks of escalation in the region. I conveyed #Switzerland's commitment to prioritizing restraint, moderation, and pursuing a diplomatic path to ease tensions," Cassis wrote. Israel has killed ne arly 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas incursion. The relentless military campaign has leveled much of the territory and left most of the people homeless, and hungry. Tensions have grown after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran's capital Tehran on July 31. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. Source: Anadolu Agency