Kerry, Ban Meet İn Cairo On Gaza

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon held a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in the Egyptian capital Cairo late on Thursday to discuss the latest developments in Gaza as well as efforts made to bring about ceasefire there, a United Nations official said.



The official, who asked not to be named, told Anadolu Agency that the two officials met for 20 minutes at one of the Egyptian capital's hotels and away from the media limelight.



He said Kerry told Ban about the contacts he made from Cairo with the foreign ministers of both Turkey and Qatar.



The Israeli newspaper Haaretz, meanwhile, reported early on Friday that the U.S. Secretary of State had conducted lengthy phone conversations with all international parties that can put pressure on the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas to agree to a ceasefire.



The newspaper "ed an Israeli official as saying that Kerry had presented both Israel and Hamas with a new ceasefire proposal.



It said Kerry would leave Cairo on Friday noon and go back to Washington where he would wait for a reply from both Turkey and Qatar on means of convincing Khaled Meshaal, the head of the political office of Hamas, to accept the new proposal.



Ban arrived in Cairo late on Thursday from Iraq on the second visit to the Egyptian capital within four days. Kerry arrived here late on Wednesday on his second visit to Cairo within 24 hours.



On July 14, Egypt proposed a ceasefire initiative in Gaza, but the initiative was turned down by Hamas, even as it was approved by Israel.



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



Last week, Israel stepped up its offensive to include ground operations, sending thousands of troops into the embattled coastal enclave.



Israel's offensive has left at least 797 Palestinians dead, mostly civilians, since it began more than two weeks ago,.



Israel's ongoing 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 – the vast majority of them civilians – were killed in Israel's three-week-long operation "Cast Lead."



By Hagar al-Dosoki



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Kahire