Kerry: We Will Work with Israel to Disarm Hamas ... After a Conditions-Free Cease-Fire

“We also believe that any process to resolve the crisis in Gaza, in a lasting and meaningful way, must lead to the disarmament of Hamas and all terrorist groups. We will work closely with Israel and regional partners and the international community in support of this goal. So we continue to have these discussions. Our discussions over there, succeeded in putting a 12-hour humanitarian cease-fire in place. Then, as the rollover time for that occurred, regrettably, there were misunderstandings about 12 hours versus 24, 4 hours versus 24. And so we’re trying to work hard to see if these issues can be clarified in a way that allow the parties, that allow Israel, the Palestinian authority, the Palestinian factions, the other countries involved — working through the Egyptian initiative, to be able to silence the weapons long enough to be able to begin to negotiate."