Turkey's FM heads to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu flies to Qatar to hold talks with his U.S., French and Qatari counterparts in an effort to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza.

Davutoglu was scheduled earlier to pay a visit to France. He postponed that trip and left for Qatar on Friday to help to ceasefire efforts as Gaza's total death toll since the beginning of the Israeli attacks on Palestine on July 7 has reached 807, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Davutoglu held separate phone conversations with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius over the Gaza conflict Thursday night, according to the Turkish foreign ministry.

The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that Turkey can play a key role in arranging a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza.

"The Turkish foreign minister is a key player in the region and has some leverage he can bring to bear on the situation. They have a relationship with Hamas. I mean, they can, you know, have conversations that we can't." Marie Harf, the deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State told journalists.

Kerry and Davutoglu spoke three times on Thursday, Harf added. She declined to give details of the discussions.

"Turks have a role to play," Harf said in response to a question regarding Kerry's close consultation with Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Thursday Turkey is working non-stop to ensure a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Gaza.

'In addition to the effort to stop the Israeli attack on the innocent Gazans and to ensure a sustainable ceasefire to the region, we are working without a break to provide emergency needs to Palestinians," the ministry said in a released statement.

Since July 7, Israel has pummeled the Gaza Strip - from air, land and sea - with the ostensible aim of halting Palestinian rocket fire.

One week ago, Israel expanded its offensive to include ground operations, sending thousands of troops into the embattled coastal enclave.

According to official Israeli figures, 34 Israelis - 32 soldiers and two civilians - have been killed since hostilities began.

Israel's operation "Protective Edge" is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive within the last six years against the densely populated Gaza Strip, which is home to some 1.8 million Palestinians.

In 2008 and 2009, more than 1500 Palestinians were killed - the vast majority of them civilians - during Israel's three-week-long "Operation Cast Lead."