Faced with international pressure to end the fighting in the Gaza Strip, U.S. President Barack Obama has sent Secretary of State John Kerry to Cairo to assist in negotiations for a cease-fire in the region.

Kerry arrived in Cairo on Monday to meet with other diplomatic officials with the intent not only to reach a resolution that would hopefully result in a cease-fire between warring forces in Palestine and Israel, but also to address the conflict's underlying issues, which Kerry described as "complicated."

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Repeated attempts to halt hostilities between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas have failed after the last truce brokered in November 2012 by Egypt and the U.S. through former state secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Kerry's aides say politics in the Middle East have drastically changed since the November 2012 truce. Neighbor states have been divided on whether to interfere in the growing conflict, since Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al Sisi seemed to have little sway over the Hamas.

Last week, Sisi's government laid out plans for a cease-fire that Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization was amenable to. However, the Hamas and another militant group, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, dismissed it, claiming they were not consulted.

While Kerry's delegation intends to reach a regional consensus for a truce, his aide's warned that a long-term cease-fire would be difficult. Instead, they hope to achieve at least a temporary cessation of hostilities and work from there.

During a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on Monday, Kerry also announced that the U.S. has pledged humanitarian aid worth US$47 million to assist efforts in helping the civilians caught in the crossfire.

Ban stressed the need to stop all hostilities and relayed his disappointment over the failed US-led talks that ended after both sides refused to compromise on a peace plan.

Earlier today, Kerry's delegation met with Palestine's intelligence chief Majid Faraj. In the following days, they are also expected to meet with Al-Sisi as well as other top officials including Arab League President Nabil Elaraby.

TagsHamas, Israel conflict, Palestine militants, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Gaza Strip, Ban Ki Moon, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, Nabil Elaraby, Majid Faraj, Palestinian Liberation Organization, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, negotiations for cease fire