U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today that a deal signed with Israel would help prevent smuggling of arms into Gaza and ultimately would contribute towards a "durable ceasefire.", according to Reuters. Rice signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni who said both the United States and Israel had agreed on a series of steps to stop Hamas from rearming. "The steps that we and other members of the international community can take will contribute to a durable ceasefire," said Rice.
