Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Tuesday, with the Kremlin saying the focus was on an immediate ceasefire and a resumption of talks.

The Turkish presidency, in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, said the two leaders discussed measures to prevent increasing tensions and initiatives to deliver humanitarian aid.

A Kremlin statement deplored the “catastrophic rise in the deaths among civilians”. It said the conflict could only be resolved on the basis of a “two-state” plan, with the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Turkish statement said Ankara would maintain its efforts to ensure calm in the region. The Kremlin said contacts between the two leaders would continue.