Any pause in Gaza conflict needs UN coordination, agreement from all parties: World body

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The UN said Thursday that any halt to the conflict in the Gaza Strip for humanitarian purposes needs to be coordinated with the global body, hours after Israel announced it would provide daily humanitarian pauses in the besieged enclave.

"Any such halt in the fighting and how it would work for humanitarian purposes would need to be coordinated with United Nations, especially on the issue of timings and location," spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

"And obviously, in order for this to be done safely for humanitarian purposes, it would have to be agreed with all parties to the conflict to be truly effective," he added.

The White House said earlier that Israel agreed to institute four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in northern parts of the Gaza Strip.

Announcements will be made by Israel three hours before the pauses are set to take effect, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

"We believe these pauses are a step in the right direction, particularly to help ensure that civilians have an opportunity to reach safer areas away from the active fighting," he said during the virtual news conference.

The brief hiatuses will allow humanitarian assistance to be moved into areas where they are implemented and will allow Palestinians "to get out of harm's way," according to Kirby.

According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 10,000 civilians have been killed, including over 4,400 children, since Oct. 7 when the conflict began following a cross-border attack by Hamas that killed over 1,400 in Israel.