Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, the 6th of November, that Israel would consider “tactical small pauses” in fighting to facilitate the entry of aid or the release of hostages from the Gaza Strip, but again rejected calls for a ceasefire, reports Reuters.
Netanyahu said a general ceasefire would hamper his country’s war efforts, but a cessation of hostilities on humanitarian grounds could be considered.
“As for tactical small pauses – an hour here and there – we have had them before. I assume that we will check the conditions to allow goods to come in, humanitarian goods, or to allow our hostages, certain hostages, to leave,” according to Reuters Netanyahu told ABC News on Monday.
“But I don’t think there will be a general ceasefire,”
Netanyahu said, adding that after the conflict, Israel will maintain and preserve responsibility for security in Gaza, considering lessons learned from previous situations.
US President Joe Biden spoke of such pauses and hostage release in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday, reaffirming his support for Israel, Biden stressed the protection of civilians, said the White House.
According to Reuters, both countries are concerned that a full ceasefire could allow the enemy to regroup.
Reuters reports that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urgently called for a ceasefire and expressed concern that Gaza was becoming a “graveyard for children”. He stressed that the attacks carried out by the Israeli Defence Forces were endangering the safety of civilians and “no one is safe”, adding that “at the same time, Hamas and other militants use civilians as human shields and continue to fire rockets towards Israel.”
According to Reuters, international organisations have said that hospitals are unable to cope with the wounded and that food and clean water are scarce, while aid supplies are inadequate.
“We need an immediate humanitarian pause. 30 days have passed. Enough. It must end immediately,” said a statement on Monday from several heads of UN bodies.
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