The European Union's foreign policy chief said on Saturday a ceasefire was a priority in the Middle East and the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israeli forces could increase the chances of achieving it.

"After the killing of Sinwar a new perspective is open and we have to use it to reach a ceasefire, a release the remaining (Israeli) hostages and to look for a political perspective," Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, told reporters at a meeting of G7 defense ministers in Naples.

He also said the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, could be strengthened, having come under fire in clashes between Israel and its Lebanese enemy Hezbollah.

"U.N. forces have to be respected all over the world maybe the mission of the UNIFIL has to be reviewed but the first thing to do is a ceasefire," Borrell said, adding it would be up to the United Nations Security Council to make decisions on UNIFIL.