Israel has agreed to put four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in its war against Hamas in the northern Gaza, the White House said on Thursday (November 9) after President Joe Biden pressed Israel for a multi-day halt in the assault to negotiate the release of hostages held by the terrorist group. This comes after Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take daily pauses during call on Monday and said that he had also asked the Israelis for a pause of at least three days to allow for hostage negotiations.
“Yes. I’ve asked for even a longer pause for some of them,” Biden said, when asked whether he had asked Israel for a three-day pause.
He said that there was “no possibility” of a formal ceasefire at present and added that it had “taken a little longer” than he hoped for Israel to agree to the humanitarian pauses.
According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, a daily humanitarian pause would be announced on Thursday and that the Israelis had committed to announcing each four-hour window at least three hours in advance.
He said that Israel was also opening a second corridor for the civilians to flee the areas that are presently the focus of its military against Hamas, with a coastal road joining the territory’s main north-south highway.
Similar short-term pauses have taken place over the last several days as thousands of civilians have fled southward, however, Thursday’s announcement seemed to be an effort to expand the process.
When asked in a Fox News interview that aired yesterday about the prospect of a daily humanitarian pause, Netanyahu said that “the fighting continues against the Hamas enemy, the Hamas terrorists, but in specific locations for a given period, a few hours here, a few hours there, we want to facilitate a safe passage of civilians away from the zone of fighting. And we’re doing that.”
Biden’s push for an even longer pause comes as part of a renewed diplomatic push to free hostages taken by Hamas and other terrorist groups to the Gaza Strip during their Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel.
According to Israeli officials estimates, the terrorists still have 239 people as hostages including children and the elderly. The US officials said that fewer than 10 Americans are among those held captive. Over 10,800 people have been killed so far in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
(With AP inputs)
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