Israel announced that Israeli troops would halt attacks on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip for three hours per day - between 11:00 and 14:00 GMT (13:00 - 16:00 Romania time) to enable humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinian territory.
Israel decided to open a humanitarian corridor to allow Gaza residents to stock up on vital supplies as the area is facing a food, water and medicine crisis. International officials have been harshly criticizing Israel for the casualties inflicted among Palestinians during the 12 days of offensive against Hamas militants.
Israeli officials were set to meet yesterday to decide whether to expand the military operation in Gaza to urban centers. According to Israeli officials, the Israeli forces neutralized 40 Hamas targets on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning through air raids and artillery fire. Israeli air and ground raids have killed over 670 Palestinians since the beginning of the offensive two weeks ago. Approximately 2,500 wounded have been reported.