No date has yet been set for Secretary of State John Kerry’s return to the United States, State Department officials reveal Tuesday afternoon.
Kerry flew overnight Sunday to the Middle East to hold marathon talks in an effort to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and has been holding a series of meetings in Cairo since his arrival. Kerry was slated to arrive in Israel to meet with Israeli officials later this week, but there is no timeline set for his arrival.
US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the capital Cairo on July 22, 2014. (photo credit: AFP PHOTO/POOL)
Although reports had suggested that Kerry would be in Israel as early as Tuesday, Kerry is still in Egypt, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned US flights into Ben Gurion International Airport due to rocket fire. The State Department denies that the ban has anything to do with Kerry’s travel schedule.
State Department Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Harf suggested Tuesday afternoon that Kerry would remain in the region indefinitely, until progress is made toward a ceasefire.
— Rebecca Shimoni Stoil
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