Israel will begin to implement four-hour pauses in areas of northern Gaza each day starting Thursday to allow civilians to flee the hostilities, White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said.
"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," Kirby told a briefing. "We've been told by the Israelis that there will be no military operations in these areas over the duration of the pause and that this process is starting today," the official stated.
Four-hour humanitarian pauses that Israel is beginning to implement in northern Gaza could potentially allow for a safe passage of the hostages, Kirby stressed.
"A four-hour pause, for instance, will allow potentially to move humanitarian assistance in to that localized area over that span of time, " Kirby said. "It can also provide enough of a window to help people get out of harm's way... If, in fact we can secure the release of hostages, and we are still working on that, it can also provide brief windows of opportunity for safe passage of those hostages from where they are being held to safer ground," the official highlighted.
However, the US is worried that Hamas may discourage or prevent the civilians in the Gaza Strip from fleeing during the humanitarian pauses, Kirby emphasized.
"Of course, we remain concerned that Hamas will discourage or prevent civilians from fleeing," the official stated.
Moreover, Kirby called Israel’s announcement of daily humanitarian four-hour pauses "a step in the right direction."
"Israel has an obligation to fully comply with international law, and we believe these [humanitarian] pauses are a step in the right direction, particularly to help ensure that civilians have an opportunity to reach safer areas away from the act of fighting," Kirby said during a press briefing.
The United States would like to see the humanitarian pauses help in getting all 239 hostages back, including nearly 10 American citizens who are being held by Hamas, Kirby added.
