An IDF spokesman said there were no changes to the humanitarian break policy in Gaza, playing down US claims that daily four-hour humanitarian breaks would be introduced.
An IDF spokesman confirms that the army plans only “tactical, local humanitarian aid breaks, which are limited in time and area,” in response to a White House spokesman’s claim that Israel will engage in daily, four-hour humanitarian aid breaks across northern Gaza.
“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.
Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told reporters that the planned breaks are a continuation of Israel’s humanitarian corridor policy: four-hour windows to allow civilians to travel from north to south of Gaza, which is relatively safer and receives humanitarian aid.
“We see people moving, tens of thousands even though there is pressure from Hamas not to let them go,” Hecht said, adding that the IDF plans to expand and do more.
He emphasized that there was no change in policy and that these were tactical pauses for movement from certain areas to the south of Gaza, Reuters writes.