CAIRO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will soon decide if Hamas and Israel are willing to agree on a Gaza ceasefire and will not stay in the region indefinitely, a senior U.S. official said Thursday, in what appeared an effort to pressure the parties. "Gaps remain between the parties, so his focus is on finding a formula that both sides can accept," said the U.S. official in an emailed comment. "But he isn’t here for an indefinite amount of time and in the near future he will determine whether there is a willingness to come to an agreement on a ceasefire."
Gazan authorities said Israeli forces shelled a shelter at a U.N.-run school in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 15 people as the Palestinian death toll in the conflict climbed over 750 and attempts at a truce remained elusive. The Israeli military said its troops were fighting gunmen from Hamas, which runs Gaza, in the area and that it was investigating.