Israel Agrees To Daily Four-Hour Humanitarian Pauses In Northern Gaza

Israel has agreed to daily four-hour humanitarian pauses in northern Gaza, a senior White House official said Thursday.

Israel told the United States that it will start implementing the four-hour pauses Thursday, and will announce the pauses three hours before they start, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Thursday.

The Israeli announcement is "a significant step forward in the right direction, including for the protection of civilians," Kirby said.

It's unclear how long the daily pauses will last. Israel told the U.S. it won't conduct any military operations in the areas where the pauses take place.