Smoke rises after an Israeli missile strike in the Gaza strip as seen from the Israel Gaza border on Wednesday, July 16, 2014.GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Israel agreed to implement a five-hour “humanitarian” pause in its 9-day-old bombardment of Gaza that has killed more than 200 Palestinians, including four boys struck on a beach Wednesday by shells fired from a navy ship.
Israel said it would hold its fire Thursday from 10 a.m. (0700 GMT, 3 a.m. EDT) under a U.N.-brokered plan to allow Palestinians to restock supplies. But it vowed to retaliate “firmly and decisively” if Hamas or other militant groups launch attacks on Israel during that time.
Robert Serry, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, had asked Israel to agree to a “unilateral humanitarian pause” so that food, water and other necessities can be delivered to Gaza, said U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. Serry will “urge the parties in Gaza to respect that pause,” Haq said.
There was no word on whether there would be a similar lull from Palestinian militants, who fired at least 90 rockets at Israel on Wednesday and vowed not to stop until their demands were met.
Israel’s military said its forces bombed at least 150 targets in Gaza on Wednesday. It did not provide more specifics, but the Gaza Interior Ministry’s website said 30 houses, including those of senior Hamas leaders Mahmoud Zahar, Jamila Shanti, Fathi Hamas and Ismail Ashkar, were targeted.