JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel has not agreed to any ceasefires during its military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, but will continue to allow brief, localised pauses to let in humanitarian aid, the Israeli military said on Thursday.
“There’s no ceasefire, I repeat there’s no ceasefire. What we are doing, that four-hour window, these are tactical, local pauses for humanitarian aid,” army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht said.
Earlier, the White House said Israel would begin daily four-hour pauses in the northern Gaza Strip to enable Palestinians to flee hostilities in the coastal enclave.
Israeli forces completely encircled Gaza City in recent days and the military said it would allow civilians safe passage along the main Salah al-Din Road for three hours each day, but until Wednesday few appeared willing to risk the journey.
However, the number of those leaving the city has increased over the past 48 hours.
“We’re still seeing people move, tens of thousands, even though there’s pressure form Hamas not to move,” Hecht said, adding that 64 trucks had entered Gaza on Wednesday bringing badly needed aid to the enclave.
Israel was trying to increase the number of trucks in future, Hecht said.
Hecht reiterated that the military campaign was intended to eliminate Hamas following its Oct. 7 assault beyond the Gaza fence that Israel says killed 1,400 people, with a further 239 held hostage by militants within Gaza.
He added that the campaign “is working”.
Palestinian officials have said 10,812 Gaza residents had been killed as of Thursday, about 40% of them children, in air and artillery strikes while basic supplies were running out and areas laid waste by unrelenting Israeli bombardments.
(Reporting by Maytaal Angel; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Grant McCool)
