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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Israel announces short pause in fighting in Gaza as Antony Blinken meets leaders

Israel has announced a "local and temporary" pause in fighting in Gaza to allow the passage of humanitarian supplies.

It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting the country's leaders on Tuesday.

Mr Blinken is due to discuss the "way forward" in Israel's war in Gaza, as he meets with leaders including Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced a six-hour break in its attacks on the Gaza Strip, to allow the passage of humanitarian supplies.

Avichay Ardraee, a spokesman, said on X, formerly Twitter, that a humanitarian corridor in Gaza has been closed and is being moved to another location.

He said there will be "a local and temporary tactical suspension of military activities for humanitarian purposes in the southeast of Deir al-Balah from 10am until 2pm, for the purpose of supply".

Israel's offensive was triggered by a cross-border rampage from Gaza by Hamas fighters who, Israel says, killed 1,200 people and abducted 240.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) meets Israel's President Isaac Herzog (right) in Tel Aviv on January 9, during his week-long trip aimed at calming tensions across the Middle East (REUTERS)

Since then, Israeli forces have laid much of the Gaza enclave to waste, causing a humanitarian catastrophe.

More than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

US Secretary of State Mr Blinken spoke alongside Israeli President Isaac Herzog ahead of their meeting on Tuesday morning, saying he would share what he had heard from regional countries during a day of meetings with Israel's government.That will include meeting the war cabinet formed by Israel in the wake of the October 7 attacks by Hamas militants.

"There's lots to talk about, in particular about the way forward," said Mr Blinken, who has visited Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as Turkey and Greece, since Saturday.

As well as trying to tamp down regional tensions, the US top diplomat has been discussing plans for the future governance of Gaza, which could involve Israel's Muslim-majority neighbors.

Mr Blinken said on Monday before heading to Israel that regional states wanted integration with Israel but only if plans to normalize relations included a "practical pathway" to a future Palestinian state.

Mr Blinken would also meet with families of hostages taken by Hamas, and discuss the "relentless efforts" to bring them back, he said on Tuesday.

Israel says that, of some 240 people seized on October 7, 132 are still being held in Gaza and 25 of them have died in captivity.

Mr Herzog thanked Washington for its support of Israel and denounced South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

The US has called the case unhelpful and said it has not seen acts of genocide in Gaza.

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