Israel announces two escape routes, ‘tactical’ pause in fighting

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) told residents in the northern Gaza Strip they would provide two safe escape corridors leading south for several hours on Saturday.

“Military activities” are to be halted between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (0800 and 1200 GMT) for “humanitarian purposes,” the military announced on social media platform X.

The military added that it will make a “tactical” suspension of military activities for several hours in the Jabalia refugee camp to allow civilians to flee from there, too.

“For your safety, please join the hundreds of thousands of residents who have moved to the south in recent days,” an army spokesman wrote in Arabic on X.

Residents are allowed to use the strip’s coastal road on the Mediterranean Sea and one that traverses the centre of the territory.