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US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday said that global efforts to end the bloodshed in Gaza were moving forward as the conflict raged on and international airlines suspended flights to Israel.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the US Secretary of State spoke about the conflict in Jerusalem and appeared cautiously optimistic regarding the future of the situation. The two said that they had pooled resources and efforts to reach a truce.
“We have certainly made some steps forward, but there is still work to be done”, Kerry said after his second meeting with Ban within a week.
“We are now joining our forces in strength to make a ceasefire as soon as possible”, Ban said. He also warned that there was very little time to lose as concerns rose over the increasing civilian body count.
Kerry also offered a similar message, saying, “We have in the last 24 hours made some progress in moving toward that goal” after meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah before he left for Tel Aviv to speak with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond is also expected to be in the region on Wednesday for talks with Abbas.
The UN chief also reiterated his call for Hamas and Israel to end the violence.
“I am standing here with very heavy heart. My message has always been consistent and strong, this violence must stop now.Everybody should work together… to bring this violence to an immediate end. They must stop now. Military solutions do not provide sustainable solutions”, he said at a joint press conference with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in Amman.
He added that Egypt’s proposal that Hamas had rejected was “very good”.
“The Egyptian government has provided a very good proposal. We are working along that proposal. I am here meeting world leaders to help (bring) peace to the people of Palestine, the people of Israel and the all people of this region.I am meeting with important leaders who can play a key role in putting an end to this violence”, he said.
