Clinton heads to Middle East amid Gaza violence

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will head to the Middle East on Tuesday for talks with regional leaders in a bid to find ways to calm the violence in Gaza, the State Department said in a statement.

Clinton, who will leave from the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh of Cambodia, will visit Jerusalem, Ramallah and Cairo to consult on the situation in Gaza, said the statement, adding that she will first meet with Israeli officials.

The statement noted that her visits will build on U.S. President Barack Obama's "intensive" engagement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi which is aimed at de-escalating the violence in Gaza and finding a durable way to end rocket attacks on Israeli territories.

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