Israel to begin daily 4-hour pauses allowing Gaza evacuations, U.S. says
Global News
The White House announced the pauses and the opening of two humanitarian corridors in northern Gaza to allow Palestinians to seek safety from Israel's military operations.
Israel will begin daily four-hour pauses in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday to enable Palestinians to flee hostilities in the coastal enclave, the White House said after President Joe Biden said he had sought pauses of three days or more.
White House spokesman John Kirby announced the pauses and the opening of two humanitarian corridors in northern Gaza to allow Palestinians to seek safety from Israel’s military operations.
Biden told reporters as he left the White House he had sought a longer pause. “Yes,” he said. “I’ve asked for a pause longer than three days.”
Asked if he was frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden said, “It’s taken a little longer than I hoped.”
The pauses emerged from discussions between U.S and Israeli officials in recent days, including talks Biden had with Netanyahu, Kirby told reporters.
Biden faces intense pressure from a number of human rights groups to do more to help Palestinians who are dying by the thousands under an Israeli bombardment in retaliation for the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Israel has not agreed to any ceasefires, but will continue to allow brief, localized pauses to let in humanitarian aid, the Israeli military said on Thursday.
Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant said on Thursday that the military was undertaking “localised, pinpoint measures” in Gaza to enable Palestinian refugees to flee the fighting with Hamas, in an apparent reference to the four-hour pauses announced by Washington.
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