Kerry Arrives İn Israel For Gaza Truce Talks

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Israel from Egypt on Wednesday for talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestinian factions.



Kerry will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is currently visiting Israel, Israel Radio reported.



Washington's top diplomat is also expected to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.



Kerry held talks in Cairo with Egyptian officials on the situation in Gaza and efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.



On Tuesday, Kerry said that an Egyptian initiative would be the "framework" for a ceasefire between Palestinian factions and Israel.



"There is a framework... to end the violence, and that framework is the Egyptian initiative," Kerry said at a joint news conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.



Cairo presented its ceasefire proposal last week amid a raging Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip, which has left at least 650 Palestinians dead – mostly civilians – since it began on July 7 with the stated aim of staunching Palestinian rocket fire.



At least 31 Israelis, mostly soldiers, have also been killed since the hostilities began.



The proposal, initially accepted by Israel, was turned down by Gaza-based resistance factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who said they were never consulted about the terms of the plan.



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



In 2008/9, over 1500 Palestinians were killed in Israel's three-week-long "Operation Cast Lead."



By Abdel-Raouf Arnaout



englishnews@aa.com.tr



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