Israel has said it has agreed to limited pauses in fighting in the Gaza Strip so civilians can flee its war with Hamas, a description that fell short of what the U.S. hailed as a significant agreement for daily, four-hour halts.
Israel will enact ¡°tactical local pauses for humanitarian aid, which are limited in time and area,¡± Israeli army spokesperson Richard Hecht said. He played down the importance of the announcement as Israel presses ahead with a campaign against Hamas in the wake of the group¡¯s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Hours before, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Israel had agreed to daily, four-hour pauses that would start the same day. U.S. officials hailed the move as a major development, with one senior administration official saying it was the result of meeting last week between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
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