Israel to Launch Four-Hour Humanitarian Pauses in Northern Gaza

The White House reported on Thursday that Israel has agreed to take four-hour daily pauses in its aggression in the northern Gaza Strip.

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According to the announcement, the measure is aimed at facilitating the evacuation of civilians to the south of the Palestinian enclave, their transfer to safe areas and the entry of aid.

“We understand that Israel will begin to implement four-hour pauses in areas of northern Gaza each day, with an announcement to be made three hours beforehand,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in a briefing with reporters.

Kirby said the measure will go into effect this Thursday, with "no Israeli military operations for the duration of the pauses."

This comes amid negotiations by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, which have been discussing the possibility of a two- or three-day truce in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Hamas' release of hostages.

Although a consensus has not been reached in the matter, Kirby said that these pauses will be useful for the safe exit of hostages if necessary noting that the U.S. government keeps working towards this aim. 

"Israel has an obligation to comply fully with international law, and we believe these pauses are a step in the right direction," said John Kirby, acknowledging the role of U.S. President Joe Biden in bringing such decisions to fruition.

However, these small steps are inconsistent with the enormous humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza, who have been under intense Israeli bombardment for more than a month. More than 10,800 Palestinians have already been killed.

The Biden administration is now showing some concern about Gaza civilians reaching safe areas, but has pledged full support for the Israeli occupation forces in their ongoing aggression. The House of Representatives recently approved a nearly $14.5 billion military aid package for Israel, but no humanitarian aid for Gaza.

The Gaza Strip is suffering a humanitarian catastrophe after a month of fighting and blockade by Israel. The international community has repeatedly denounced Israeli actions as genocide against the Palestinians.

Large quantities of humanitarian aid and unlimited amounts of fuel are essential to enter the Strip, whose 2.3 million Palestinian residents are suffering severely deteriorating living conditions. Israeli bombardment has disrupted the health system, access to clean water, food, medicine and all kinds of basic services, forcing the population to huddle in shelters.