Secretary of State John Kerry will arrive in Cairo later today to meet with Egyptian officials to discuss the crisis in Gaza. Sunday was the deadliest day of the conflict so far, with more than 100 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers killed in a single day, bringing the death toll to more than 500, according to The Washington Post.
Kerry is expected to urge Hamas to accept a cease-fire agreement put forth by Egypt, reports German news outlet Deutsche Welle. Kerry also said that he is hopeful about a cease-fire, and has been working "very, very hard" with international partners to make that happen, as he made the rounds on the Sunday morning talk shows this weekend.
“The United States — and our international partners — are deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation, and the loss of more innocent life,” said State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki. “We believe there should be a cease-fire as soon as possible — one that restores the cease-fire reached in November of 2012.”
The trip comes a day after Kerry’s hot mic moment, during which he sarcastically said Israel is conducting “a hell of a pinpoint operation,” referring to Israel’s claims that their operation would be a limited one. The Washington Post has posted videos of the Kerry making the statements.
