ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said it is imperative that both sides take advantage of the 72-hour ceasefire in the conflict in the Gaza Strip agreed to by Israel and Hamas.
"Now obviously, while we are grateful that the violence and the bloodshed has the opportunity to stop for more than 24 hours, it is up to the parties, all of them, to take advantage of this moment. There are no guarantees," Kerry said while on his visit to India.
The ceasefire will begin at 8 a.m. local time (1.00 a.m. EDT) on Aug. 1, according to a joint statement by Kerry and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The statement said "forces on the ground will remain in place" during the truce, implying that Israeli ground forces will not withdraw.
Israeli and Palestinian delegations will immediately travel to Cairo for negotiations with the Egyptian government to reach a durable ceasefire, the statement said.
Israel launched its offensive
