Updated: U.N.'s Ban to visit Egypt for talks on Monday

Sunday 18-11-2012 03:42 PM
Updated: U.N.'s Ban to visit Egypt for talks on Monday

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks at a news conference with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa in Cairo March 21, 2011. Amr Dalsh/REUTERS

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CAIRO, Nov 18 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will arrive in Egypt on Monday for talks with the Egyptian president and other officials, the foreign ministry reported on Sunday.

Egypt has been working to reinstate a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants after one it brokered in October collapsed.

President Mohamed Mursi said on Saturday there were "some indications" a deal could come soon but added he did not have guarantees.

The foreign ministry statement did not give details about Ban's planned discussions, only saying he would talk about regional issues. He is scheduled to meet Mursi on Tuesday before leaving Egypt.

Israel launched a massive air campaign on Wednesday with the declared goal of deterring Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that runs the Gaza Strip, from launching rockets that have plagued its southern communities for years.

Israel bombed Palestinian militant targets in the Gaza Strip from air and sea for a fifth straight day on Sunday, preparing for a possible ground invasion while also spelling out its conditions for a truce.

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