Israel Agrees to 4-Hour Daily Humanitarian Pauses in Gaza: White House
Israel has finally and belatedly caved to White House and external international pressure, it appears, as Biden officials have announced Thursday that Israel has agreed to implement daily humanitarian pauses.
“The White House says Israel has agreed to put in place four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in its assault on Hamas in northern Gaza,” the Associated Press reports in a breaking story.
Washington has refused to back a ceasefire, but starting last week Secretary of State Blinken began pressing harder for ‘pauses’, to allow more aid into the Strip, but also to allow Palestinian civilians safe exit from the northern half of Gaza, which has remained under heavy aerial bombardment, but also ongoing ground invasion, as tanks have also reportedly reached the centre of Gaza City.
“The Biden administration says it has secured a second pathway for civilians to flee fighting. President Joe Biden had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to institute the daily pauses during a Monday call,” the AP writes.
“U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the first humanitarian pause would be announced Thursday and that the Israelis had committed to announcing each four-hour window at least three hours in advance,” according to further details.
The Pentagon’s military build-up in the region and in the Eastern Mediterranean, with the presence of carriers, warships, and even a nuclear-powered submarine has continues with an eye on Iran.
Overnight, President Biden ordered a second round of major airstrikes on ‘Iran-linked’ militant positions in Eastern Syria in retaliation for what are now near daily drone and rocket attacks on US positions, also in Iraq.
As we detailed earlier, the White House is facing immense pressure both domestically and on an international scale given its refusal to back a full ceasefire. The issue has even begun to fracture the administration from within, given now widely circulating ‘dissent memos’ critiquing and denouncing Biden’s policies.
As the Gaza death toll soars past 10,500 – and now with daily horrific images from Gaza hospitals showing dead and wounded babies, toddlers, women, and other civilians – pressure is also mounting at the United Nations. The US has come under blistering criticism from other countries for last week vetoing a resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza, among the few nations in the world to register a “no” vote.
