President Joe Biden urges multi-day cessation of hostilities for hostage negotiations
In a significant development, Israel has agreed to implement daily four-hour humanitarian pauses in its military operations against Hamas in northern Gaza. The White House confirmed this decision, highlighting President Joe Biden’s effort to secure a multi-day halt to the fighting as part of negotiations for the release of hostages held by the militant group.
President Biden personally requested Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to institute these daily pauses during a phone call on Monday. He also expressed his desire for a pause lasting at least three days to facilitate hostage negotiations. When asked if he had requested a three-day pause, President Biden replied, “Yes,” and added that he had even asked for a more extended pause for certain cases. However, he noted that a formal ceasefire is not currently feasible, and it has taken longer than he had hoped for Israel to agree to the humanitarian pauses.
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The National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, confirmed that Israel would announce the daily humanitarian pause, with each four-hour window disclosed at least three hours in advance. Additionally, Israel is opening a second corridor to allow civilians to evacuate the areas targeted by its military campaign against Hamas, with a coastal road connecting to the main north-south highway in Gaza.
Although brief pauses have occurred over the past few days as tens of thousands of civilians have fled southward, Thursday’s announcement signifies an effort to formalize and expand the process. The United States has been pressuring Israel to take more extensive measures to protect civilians in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict.
In an interview with Fox News that aired on Thursday, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, “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.”
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The move toward daily humanitarian pauses represents a step toward easing the situation in Gaza and providing relief for civilians caught in the crossfire as diplomatic efforts continue to seek a lasting resolution to the conflict.
