US President Barack Obama today called for an immediate ceasefire to end the fighting in Gaza and to stop the deaths of innocent civilians both in the coastal strip and Israel.
Obama told White House reporters this morning that he has asked Secretary of State John Kerry to travel to the region for the purpose. Kerry departed for Egypt today.
"As I've said many times, Israel has a right to defend itself against rocket and tunnel attacks from Hamas. As a result of its operations, Israel has already done significant damage to Hamas' terrorist infrastructure in Gaza," Obama said in a statement in the south lawn of the White House.
"I've also said, however, that we have serious concerns about the rising number of Palestinian civilian deaths and the loss of Israeli lives," he said.
"That is why it now has to be our focus and the focus of the international community to bring about a ceasefire that ends the fighting and that can stop the deaths of innocent civilians, both in Gaza and in Israel," Obama said.
Obama said Kerry will meet with allies and partners, and that he has instructed him to push for an immediate cessation of hostilities based on a return to the November 2012 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
