White House: Israel agreed to daily 4-hour ‘humanitarian pauses’

The first humanitarian pause is set to be announced later on Thursday U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

By JNS

Israel has agreed to observe daily four-hour “humanitarian pauses” in its operation against Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday.

The first humanitarian pause is set to be announced later on Thursday, Kirby claimed, adding that Jerusalem committed to announcing each four-hour window at least three hours in advance.

U.S. President Joe Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to institute the pauses during a call on Monday, according to the White House.

The Prime Minister’s Office responded by saying that “the fighting is continuing and there will be no ceasefire without the release of our hostages.

“Israel is enabling safe corridors from the Strip’s north to its south, as 50,000 Gazans did only yesterday. We once again call on the civilian population in Gaza to evacuate to the south,” Netanyahu’s office stated.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) earlier on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces likewise downplayed claims of a ceasefire. “There is no ceasefire. There are tactical, local pauses for humanitarian aid for Gazan civilians. These tactical pauses are limited in time and area,” said the military.

“We are also providing humanitarian corridors for civilians in Gaza to temporarily move south to safer areas where they can receive humanitarian aid,” the post added.