CAIRO
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Cairo on Monday for talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian factions.
Ban will hold talks with Egyptian officials on the situation in the Palestinian territories and a sought-for ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, an Egyptian diplomatic source told Anadolu Agency.
The U.N. chief is currently on a Mideast tour that has so far taken him to Qatar and Kuwait. He is also expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories.
On Sunday, the U.N. Security Council called for an immediate Gaza ceasefire between Palestinian resistance factions and Israel.
Since July 7, Israel has pounded the besieged coastal enclave with fierce air and naval bombardments, with the stated aim of halting rocket fire from Gaza.
At least 513 Palestinians have been killed and more than 3150 injured since Israel's onslaught began two weeks ago.
The military operation, dubbed operation "Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the blockaded Gaza Strip within the last six years.
By Mahmoud al-Husseini
englishnews@aa.com.
www.aa.com.tr/en
