Israel, Palestinian Spokesmen: There Is No Ceasefire
Tuesday morning, it was reported that Egypt had announced a brokered ceasefire deal agreed to by Hamas, set to begin later that day. However, with Hillary Clinton visiting the region in just hours, Fox News' Jennifer Griffin reports that it's unlikely for an agreement to be reached before the Secretary of State meets with the leaders of the two groups. Now, Griffin shares word that Israeli and Palestinian spokesmen are saying that no ceasefire has been agreed to by their respective parties.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier after meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that Israel will be a willing partner in a ceasefire. Netanyahu also thanked the secretary for
his 'consistent statements' condemning rocket attacks by Hamas militants on his country.
"I want to thank you for making it clear that Israel has the right to defend itself," he said, adding that he shares the secretary's concerns about civilian casualties in the conflict.
As for the White House, Griffin reports that it's very clear that the administration is taking the escalating tensions "very seriously," and that they would like to prevent a ground war at all costs, as 30,000 Israeli troops stand on the ready at the Gaza border.
WH Deputy National Sec. Adviser Ben Rhodes said Tuesday that their "bottom line" is an end to rocket fire. "We've discussed any number of ideas to accomplish that goal, but it's going to have to begin with a reduction of tensions and space created for the situation to calm," he told the press.
More on the Conflict:
- Rudy Giuliani, Former NYC Mayor, Says Israel-Gaza Conflict Is a ‘Proxy War’
- Naftali Bennett, Fmr. Chief of Staff to Netanyahu: Israel-Gaza Ceasefire Is Not Yet Imminent
- Report: Israel May Be Using Gaza as a “Warm-Up” for War With Iran
