Egyptian Foreign Minister praises Turkey's efforts

Speaking to reporters in a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said that Israel and the Hamas militant group reached a cease-fire agreement on Wednesday to end the fiercest round of fighting in nearly four years, promising to halt attacks on each other and ease an Israeli blockade constricting the Gaza Strip. Amr added that he appreciated the efforts exerted by Arab League, Turkey, Qatar and UN Secretary General in restoring a cease fire in Gaza. Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal also thanked Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other Turkish officials in ensuring the ceasefire.