The White House announced on Thursday that Israel has agreed to implement four-hour pauses in fighting in areas of northern Gaza each day, starting from today. The pauses are intended to help civilians reach safer areas, away from the conflict.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said they have informed the US that there will be no military operations in these areas during the pauses, and that they will be announced three hours ahead of time. He said these pauses are a “step in the right direction” and “significant first steps” to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“A four-hour pause for instance will allow, potentially, to move humanitarian assistance into that localized area, over that span of time. It could also provide enough of a window to help people get out of harm’s way,” Kirby said. “It could also provide brief windows of opportunity for safe passage for those hostages from where they’re being held, to safer ground.”
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Kirby said they have also agreed to a second humanitarian corridor that will allow people to leave hostile areas of northern Gaza and move south, where more aid is available. He said the US remains concerned that Hamas will discourage or prevent civilians from fleeing, and urged the expansion of humanitarian supplies and assistance in southern Gaza.
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Richard Hecht confirmed that the pauses are already being held, but stressed that they are only “tactical, local pauses for humanitarian aid of a limited time and area.” He said the evacuation corridors are for people to move south for humanitarian aid, not to leave Gaza.
President Joe Biden said he has pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a three-day pause in Gaza, and asked for an even bigger window to get the remaining hostages out. Biden said his message to the families of hostages is: “We’re not going to stop until we get them out.”
Israeli officials say Hamas had 239 hostages in Gaza, mostly Israeli citizens. Four hostages were released from Gaza over the last few weeks: two American women and two Israeli women. The Israel Defense Forces said a fifth hostage, a female Israeli soldier, was rescued during the Israeli military’s ground operations in Gaza.