US Says Israel Approves Military Operations Pause, Defense Minister Gallant: Not Reducing Spirit

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with the Israeli military at the Gaza border. (Wikimedia Commons/Ariel Hermoni Defense Ministry)

JAKARTA - Israel has taken steps allowing civilians to flee to the southern region of Gaza, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Thursday, when the country reportedly approved a hiatus of military operations for several hours.

The White House said Israel approved a four-hour military operation hiatus a day north of Gaza, after the war lasted more than a month and killed thousands of people and sparked regional conflict concerns.

But towards evening, there were no reports of easing fighting that occurred in the ruins of buildings north of the Gaza Strip.

There is also no direct confirmation from Israel, which speaks in more general about actions that appear to be in accordance with existing arrangements.

"We are taking local and appropriate steps to allow Palestinian civilians to leave Gaza City to the south, so that we do not harm them. These things do not reduce the fighting spirit," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.

Israel blockaded Gaza's territory and bombarded the region after an attack by the Hamas militant group on their southern region on October 7, killing 1,400 people and 240 others being held hostage.

In recent days, the Israeli military has allowed civilians to pass the main route to the south safely for three or four hours every day.

To reporters, the Defense Minister, Gallant, emphasized that there would be no full ceasefire at this time.

"We will not stop fighting as long as our hostages are in Gaza and as long as we have not completed our mission, which is to overthrow the Hamas regime and eliminate the capabilities of the military and its government," Gallant stressed.

Meanwhile, Taher Al-Nono, political adviser toHamasleader Ismail Haniyeh, said on Thursday undetermined negotiations continued and so far no agreement has been reached with Israel.

As of Thursday, about 10,812 Gazans had died as a result of Israeli attacks, at a safe level of about 40 percent of whom were children, Palestinian officials said.