Israel says it’s open to ‘tactical’ fighting pauses

STORY: Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday seemed willing to consider 'pauses' in fighting in the Gaza Strip-either for aid or the exit of hostages– –but again ruled out a ceasefire for now despite international pressure.Netanyahu was speaking with ABC News:[David Muir / ABC anchor] “I know the Biden administration has also said now is not the time for a ceasefire. What they're proposing is a humanitarian pause. There will be no pause?” [Benjamin Netanyahu / Israeli Prime Minister] “Well, there'll be no ceasefire, no general ceasefire in Gaza without the release of our hostages. As far as tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there, we've had them before, I suppose we'll check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods to come in or individual hostages to leave, but I don't think there's going to be a general ceasefire. I think it will hamper the war effort, it will hamper our effort to get our hostages out. Because the only thing that works on these criminals in Hamas is the military pressure that we're exerting." Blasts and flares lit up the sky over Gaza early Tuesday morning. It's now been more than one month since the Hamas raid on southern Israel, when militants killed 1,400 people and seized 240 hostages. Israel has bombarded the area since then.Gaza health officials say it has killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, including some 4,100 children. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that Gaza is becoming a "graveyard for children,” calling for an urgent ceasefire. However both sides have resisted international pressure to do so.Israel says hostages should be released first, while Hamas says it will not free them or stop fighting while Gaza is under assault.On Monday, the White House said U.S. President Joe Biden had discussed "pauses" and possible hostage releases in a phone call with Netanyahu, reiterating his support for Israel while emphasizing that it must protect civilians.Like Israel, the U.S. fears Hamas would take advantage of a full ceasefire to regroup.On Monday Netanyahu was also asked about what happens when the conflict is over.[David Muir / ABC anchor] “President Biden has said that it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza. Who should govern Gaza when this is over?” [Benjamin Netanyahu / Israeli Prime Minister] “Those who don't want to continue the way of Hamas – I think Israel – for an indefinite period – will have the overall security responsibility because we've seen what happens when we don't have it, when we don't have that security responsibility, what we have is the eruption of Hamas terror on a scale that we couldn't imagine." International organizations have said hospitals like this one in Gaza City cannot cope with the wounded and that food and clean water are running out with aid deliveries nowhere near enough.