Kerry hopes truce will end rocket attacks

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John Kerry hopes that the truce accepted today will pave the way to a permanent resolution regarding the Gaza Strip.

In a statement issued hours after the truce goes into effect, Kerry writes that the US “strongly supports” the agreement and “hopes very much that this ceasefire will prove to be durable and sustainable, that it will put an end to rocket and mortar attacks, and that it will help to bring about an enduring end to the conflict in Gaza.”

Kerry also calls for the acceleration of “the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the people in Gaza” and says that the US is “prepared to work with our international partners on a major reconstruction initiative, with appropriate measures in place to ensure that this is for the benefit of the civilian population in Gaza, not Hamas and other terrorist organizations.”

The US will partner with the Palestinian Authority rather than with Hamas in forwarding reconstruction plans.

— Rebecca Shimoni Stoil