US President Joe Biden on Thursday welcomed Israel’s decision to allow daily four-hour “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting in Gaza.
“For weeks, I've been speaking with Israel’s leaders about the importance of humanitarian pauses in the fighting to get civilians to safety, support the freeing of hostages, and increase the flow of food, water, and medicine into Gaza,” Biden wrote in a lengthy post on X, formerly Twitter.
“As of today, there will be two humanitarian passages that will allow people to flee hostile areas in Gaza. And they’ve already enabled thousands to reach safety. We’re also doing everything in our power to increase humanitarian supplies and assistance,” he added.
“There were 96 trucks of supplies two days ago, and 106 trucks yesterday. But we need to see more, and soon. We are aiming for at least 150 per day, every day,” wrote Biden.
He also clarified that “Israel makes its own decisions. They are fighting an enemy embedded in the civilian population, which places innocent Palestinian people at risk.”
“They have an obligation to distinguish between terrorists and civilians and fully comply with international law. These pauses will help get civilians to safer areas away from active fighting. They are a step in the right direction,” stated Biden.
Earlier on Thursday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Israel has agreed to daily, four-hour humanitarian pauses in the fighting in northern Gaza.
“Kirby announced to reporters that the four-hour humanitarian pauses will be implemented in northern Gaza beginning Thursday. The Israelis have informed the US there will be no military operations in those areas for the duration of the pauses, and the timing will be announced three hours before the pause begins each day, Kirby said.
The Prime Minister's Office later issued a clarification, saying, "The fighting continues and there will be no ceasefire without the release of our hostages. Israel is allowing safe transit corridors from the north of the Gaza Strip to the south, as 50,000 Gazans did just yesterday. We once again call on the civilian population in Gaza to evacuate to the south.”
IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said a press briefing later on Thursday that there is no ceasefire in Gaza, but rather a humanitarian corridor.
“The battle continues. There is no ceasefire, we repeat, there is no ceasefire. We continue to fight at this time. On our return, we passed by the humanitarian corridor. We saw that the humanitarian corridor is effective. Today we saw over fifty thousand Gazan civilians from the north of the Gaza Strip moving southward. They understand very well that we are fighting significantly in Gaza City and its surroundings, and that Hamas has lost control. The south is safer and that is where humanitarian aid arrives. Food, water and medicine arrive there, led by Egypt and the USA. And we are now fighting a ground operation that we will only deepen. In the heart of Gaza City, we will reach more and more Hamas strongholds,” said Hagari.