Israeli to Halt Fire for 3 Hours
AP
A rocket fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip is seen from southern Israel, near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
JERUSALEM – Israel says it will halt its military action in Gaza for three hours to allow Gaza residents to stock up on supplies.
Peter Lerner, an Israeli military official, says Thursday's lull in fighting will enable humanitarian groups to do their work. He says Israel will also send aid and fuel to Gaza.
Israel has carried out massive strikes against Gaza since Dec. 27 in an attempt to crush Hamas militants. But air and artillery shelling have killed more than 700 Gazans — half of them are believed to be civilians.
Israel also briefly halted fighting on Wednesday amid growing international pressure to relieve civilian suffering in Gaza.
