Secretary of State John Kerry touched down at Israel’s main airport on Wednesday, a trip made in defiance of Federal Aviation Administration bans on travel to the Jewish state.
Mr. Kerry landed amid an Israeli military battle with Hamas terrorists by a southern town in the Gaza Strip, CBS News reported. Israel has also just shut down border crossings into Gaza at Erez “until further notice,” CBS News reported.
Mr. Kerry’s plans for the day included a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahoud Abbas and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
But the United States has largely downplayed expectations for a peaceable solution to come from these talks, CBS News reported. Ongoing talks have so far led to little concessions from Hamas; the terrorist group has already broken two previously forged cease-fire agreements.
Mr. Kerry’s flight to the nation comes just one day after the FAA banned any commercial flights into Ben-Gurion International Airport, due to heavy Hamas rocket fire. It’s not clear yet if the ban will continue. The FAA said it’s going to announce on Wednesday whether U.S. commercial flight travel to the port can resume on Wednesday.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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