The announcement from the White House regarding a daily 4-hour pause for Israel, Netanyahu, and IDF has been downplayed by Netanyahu and the IDF.

Israel will implement daily four-hour pauses in the northern Gaza Strip to allow Palestinians to escape the ongoing conflict, as confirmed by White House spokesperson John Kirby. The Israelis have assured the US that there will be no military actions during these pauses. President Joe Biden has stated that a long-term ceasefire is not being considered as it would benefit Hamas. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded, asserting that there will be no ceasefire until hostages are released. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have already been implementing humanitarian pauses throughout the week. These pauses are an extension of Israel’s humanitarian corridor policy, allowing civilians to move from the northern to the southern part of Gaza. The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director and the Israeli Mossad director held a meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister to discuss hostage negotiations, but there have been no substantial proposals from Hamas, according to Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad has released propaganda videos featuring two Israeli captives. In terms of market reactions, the Israeli shekel weakened against the dollar, while the US currency strengthened following remarks by Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Various ETFs experienced declines, including the iShares MSCI Israel ETF and Cathie Wood’s ARK Israel Innovative Technology ETF. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust also fell, and bond prices decreased.