WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (AP) - (Kyodo)
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Friday signed a deal intended to halt Hamas militants' arms smuggling into Gaza in a bid to realize a cease-fire there.
The memorandum of understanding "provides a series of the steps that the U.S. and Israel will take to stem the flow of weapons and explosives into Gaza," Rice said. "The MOU we sign today is...a vital component for the cessation of hostilities," Livni added.
The signing of the deal in Washington came as Israel's offensive against Hamas continued, with Israeli airstrikes pounding the northern and southern sections of Gaza.
The deal, seen as a vital element in a broad international push to end the violence in Gaza, calls for curbing the smuggling of weapons into Gaza by boosting intelligence cooperation and border monitoring.
The Palestinian death toll from the Israeli air-and-ground offensive launched on Dec. 27 has increased to at least 1,138 and there were more than 5,100 wounded, Reuters news agency reported.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Friday signed a deal intended to halt Hamas militants' arms smuggling into Gaza in a bid to realize a cease-fire there.
The memorandum of understanding "provides a series of the steps that the U.S. and Israel will take to stem the flow of weapons and explosives into Gaza," Rice said. "The MOU we sign today is...a vital component for the cessation of hostilities," Livni added.
The signing of the deal in Washington came as Israel's offensive against Hamas continued, with Israeli airstrikes pounding the northern and southern sections of Gaza.
The deal, seen as a vital element in a broad international push to end the violence in Gaza, calls for curbing the smuggling of weapons into Gaza by boosting intelligence cooperation and border monitoring.
The Palestinian death toll from the Israeli air-and-ground offensive launched on Dec. 27 has increased to at least 1,138 and there were more than 5,100 wounded, Reuters news agency reported.
Source: Breitbart
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