Kerry to visit Egypt for meetings on Gaza situation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Cairo on Monday for meetings with Egyptian and other senior officials on the situation in Gaza where fighting between Israel and the Islamist Hamas group has cost more than 400 lives, the State Department said on Sunday. "The United States – and our international partners– are deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation, and the loss of more innocent life," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. "We believe there should be a ceasefire as soon as possible – one that restores the cease-fire reached in November of 2012." The statement added that Kerry "is working to support Egypt’s initiative to pursue that outcome, and will travel to the region as part of those efforts."