After meeting Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo today, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the Egyptian cease-fire initiative was a framework for bringing about an end to the fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Kerry called Israel's operation "appropriate and legitimate" but said that innocent civilians were caught up in the situation and that hundreds of Palestinians had lost their lives in the conflict. He said that the US was sending $47 million in aid to the Gaza Strip "to alleviate the immediate humanitarian crisis."
During Kerry's press conference in Cairo, sirens sounded in Beersheva as Hamas fired rockets at the city.
Kerry thus stands behind the Egyptian initiative and backs Israel, but he also glanced in the direction of Hamas when he said that diplomacy would “hopefully find not only a way to a ceasefire, but a way to deal with the underlying issues, which are very complicated.”
In any event, Israeli sources said today that the chances of a cease-fire in the next few days were low.
Later today, EU foreign ministers called for the disarming of terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. In a statement after the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said, "We are extremely concerned of course at the continued escalation of violence in Gaza, and we condemn the serious loss of life. We strongly condemn the indiscriminate firing of rockets into Israel by Hamas and militant groups in the Gaza Strip. These are criminal and unjustifiable acts. And we call for an immediate end to hostilities and welcome very much the ongoing efforts, in particular by Egypt, to achieve a ceasefire.
"All Member States recognize Israel's legitimate right to defend itself against attacks. But we underline that the Israeli military operation should be proportionate and in line with international humanitarian law. Civilians need to be protected at all times.
"We are deeply concerned at the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation and ask all sides to meet their obligations and allow safe and urgent humanitarian access in order to have the distribution of assistance. The hostilities of course serve to confirm the unsustainable situation in the Gaza Strip, a place I have visited as you know several times. We are ready, if conditions allow, to contribute to a comprehensive and sustainable solution which meets the security, economic and humanitarian needs of Israelis and Palestinians."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 22, 2014
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