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00:00 A move the White House describes as a step in the right direction after more than a month
00:05 of heavy bombings on the Gaza Strip.
00:08 The Biden administration says Israel has agreed to four-hour pauses of military operations
00:13 in areas of northern Gaza to allow civilians to flee.
00:18 Under the agreement, fighting will cease each day in designated neighbourhoods, the local
00:22 population warned three hours in advance.
00:26 The pauses will allow for departures, but also for the delivery of humanitarian aid
00:30 for those who stay.
00:32 Israel says the pauses would not detract from the war fighting.
00:36 In an interview to Fox News, the Israeli Prime Minister said the end goal in Gaza was not
00:41 conquest.
00:42 "What we have to see is Gaza demilitarized, de-radicalized and rebuilt.
00:49 And all of that can be achieved.
00:51 We don't seek to conquer Gaza, we don't seek to occupy Gaza and we don't seek to govern
00:56 Gaza.
00:57 We'll have to find a government, a civilian government that will be there."
01:02 The Prime Minister repeated that there would be no ceasefire until all hostages were freed.
01:08 On Thursday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group posted videos of two Israeli hostages
01:13 held in Gaza, claiming it was ready to release them, but only if certain conditions were
01:18 met.
01:20 It comes after several unnamed sources claim Qatar has been mediating negotiations between
01:24 Israel and Hamas, and that the talks involve the release of around a dozen hostages held
01:29 in Gaza, including Americans, in return for a ceasefire.
01:33 Speaking to France 24's sister radio station RFI Thursday, a Qatari spokesperson did confirm
01:39 negotiations are underway.
01:41 "I can't talk about the details of the negotiations due to the sensitivity and the delicate nature
01:46 of these talks.
01:47 And our main concern is now for these talks to succeed and for us to be able to bring
01:52 the hostages back to their families and to bring about peace in this conflict.
01:56 And our focus should remain on that.
01:59 However, what I can tell you is that these negotiations have started from day one and
02:03 they are still ongoing."
02:05 Four of the some 240 hostages have been freed so far, with Israel's military claiming to
02:10 have rescued a fifth last month.
02:12 Hamas, meanwhile, is publicly demanding the release of its fighters held in Israel.