Madrid - Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero talked on the phone to his Israeli counterpart Ehud Olmert overnight, offering Spanish help in the search for peace in Gaza, government sources said Friday.

Zapatero and Olmert analysed the conditions for a ceasefire and the possibilities opened by the Franco-Egyptian peace plan.

A ceasefire needed to be "real" and to guarantee the security of both Gaza and Israel, Zapatero told the Israeli premier.

Zapatero informed Olmert of his meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday in Madrid, where the two gave their backing to the Franco-Egyptian plan.

Zapatero said Spain could play "an important role" in peace efforts, the sources said, describing the 25-minute conversation as "cordial and constructive." dpa