US Secretary of State John Kerry is working for Israel and Hamas to agree to further halts in the Gaza fighting ahead of Egyptian-led peace talks, a US official says Sunday.
A senior US official says that Kerry was seeking a series of temporary ceasefires, which would lead the way for Israeli-Palestinian talks in Egypt on a more permanent plan.
“You have a way now to staunch the bleeding,” the official who accompanied Kerry says on condition of anonymity.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, third from left, stands with from left, Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini after their meeting regarding a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, Saturday, July 26, 2014, at the foreign ministry in Paris, France. With a 12-hour humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza Saturday, Kerry is continuing with efforts to reach a longer truce between Israel and Hamas. (photo credit: AP/Charles Dharapak)
The US official defended the meetings between Kerry and the Turkish and Qatari foreign ministers, which have come under fire in Israel, saying it was significant that Turkey and Qatar had joined other international players in calling for a ceasefire.
Asked whether the approach was at odds with past US criticism of Qatar’s support for Hamas, the official says: “The fact is, they are (funding Hamas) and as a result of that they have some influence.”
— AFP
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