BREAKING NEWS

Any halt to Gaza fighting for aid purposes needs coordination with UN - UN spokesperson

Any halt to fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip for humanitarian purposes would need to be coordinated with the United Nations and need to be agreed by all parties to the conflict "to be truly effective," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday.

Israel will begin four-hour pauses in northern Gaza starting on Thursday to allow people to flee hostilities, the White House said earlier in what it called a step in the right direction.