Israel intends to halt military operations for three hours a day near the city of Gaza to enable aid to flow through a humanitarian corridor it is setting up in the Hamas-ruled territory, a military source said on Wednesday. "The idea is for the Israeli military to lay down its weapons every day from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., starting today, in the area of the city of Gaza," the source said, according to Reuters.
Palestinian officials in the Gaza Strip said they had been informed by Israel that it would stop its attacks during that time period to allow shops to open and for funerals to take place.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said earlier a humanitarian corridor was recommended by Israel's military chiefs and would entail granting periodic access to various areas to allow Palestinians to stock up on vital goods.
An Olmert spokesman, Mark Regev, described the measure as a "special status to allow the transfer of people, foodstuffs and medicines" and said it could be implemented on Wednesday.
