warning Hi, we've moved to USCANNENBERGMEDIA.COM. Visit us there!

Neon Tommy - Annenberg digital news

Hillary Clinton Headed To Israel, West Bank

Paresh Dave |
November 19, 2012 | 11:56 p.m. PST

Executive Director

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a conference of Southeast Asian countries in Cambodia on Monday. (State Department photo by William Ng/Public Domain)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a conference of Southeast Asian countries in Cambodia on Monday. (State Department photo by William Ng/Public Domain)
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will travel to Jerusalem, Ramallah and Cairo on Tuesday to make it clear to Israelis and Palestinians that an escalation of violence in Gaza won't help either side, the White House confirmed late Monday.

The White House said Clinton would meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Tuesday night Pacific time. Haartez said Defense Minister Ehud Barak and President Shimon Peres also would be involved in meetings.

Clinton also planned to see Palestinian Authority leaders in the Palestine-controlled city of Ramallah in the West Bank. But she did not plan to meet with Hamas officials in Gaza. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon had already planned to hold similar talks in the region on Tuesday.

"All sides must halt fire immediately," Ban said at a press conference late Monday Pacific time. "Further escalating the situation will put the entire region at risk."

Hours earlier, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had agreed to hold off a ground attack in Gaza for at least 24 hours while peace talks continued in Cairo. Hamas and Egyptian officials have been negotiating the final details of a ceasefire agreement.

Clinton had been traveling with the president through Southeast Asia. The president was scheduled to leave Cambodia for the U.S. 2:30 a.m. Pacific time Tuesday. As Clinton visited Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia the past three days, she's been constantly on the phone with Israeli, Qatari, Egyptian and Palestinian leaders. She'll now try to exert pressure in-person to force a ceasefire.

More than 110 Palestinians and three Israelis have been killed during a week of airstrikes and bombings between Hamas and Israeli Defense Forces.

The latest round of fire Monday night into Tuesday morning Israeli time saw 100 targets struck by Israel, including a key bank in Gaza. Israel's anti-missile system also intercepted a handful of strikes from Hamas. Israel said more than 350 rockets had been intercepted in the past week.

Meanwhile, three U.S. warships -- USS Iwo Jima, USS New York and USS Gunston Hall -- headed back West for Thanksgiving were ordered to return to the Middle East in case an evacuation of American citizens from Israel was needed.



 

Buzz

Craig Gillespie directed this true story about "the most daring rescue mission in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Watch USC Annenberg Media's live State of the Union recap and analysis here.

 
ntrandomness