The White House announced that Israel has agreed to implement four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in its fighting against Hamas in northern Gaza. The temporary ceasefires will allow civilians to evacuate the conflict zone. President Biden had requested the pauses during a call with Israeli PM Netanyahu earlier this week. The first four-hour pause will occur on Thursday, with Israel committing to announce each window at least three hours in advance. The temporary daily ceasefires mark the second pathway secured by the Biden administration for Gazan civilians to escape the violence.

India on Thursday reiterated its call for de-escalation and a return to direct peace talks between Israel and Hamas. While condemning Hamas' October 7 terror attacks, India has avoided directly demanding a ceasefire. External affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has urged both sides to avoid violence and create conditions for resuming negotiations towards a two-state solution. He expressed deep concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Over 1,400 Israelis and 10,500 Gazans have died in the conflict. Bagchi said he was unaware of reports that Israel may bring in 100,000 Indian workers to replace Palestinians. India has provided 38 tonnes of humanitarian aid so far.

The Vatican's doctrinal office said Wednesday that transgender people can serve as godparents and witnesses at Catholic weddings and receive baptism themselves. The response came from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in answer to questions from a bishop. While vague on same-sex couples baptizing adopted children, it said transgender people could participate in sacraments if there's no public scandal. Pope Francis approved the document, continuing his effort to welcome LGBT people without changing Church stances. A Jesuit priest called it an important step in seeing transgender Catholics not just as people, but as full members of the Church.

Data from GPS-tagged carrion birds is aiding Israel's military in finding corpses around the site of an October 7 attack by Hamas. Eagles, vultures, and other birds fitted with trackers have helped locate human remains, said wildlife expert Ohad Hatzofe. On October 23, a rare sea eagle that had returned from Russia led authorities to four bodies near Beeri. In the Hamas attack, over 1,400 were killed and 30 more from Beeri are missing. The bird data has enabled recovery of additional bodies in Israel, though identities remain undisclosed. Police have identified nearly 1,200 victims so far.

The UK government has added India to an expanded list of 'safe' countries, making it easier to deport illegal Indian immigrants. The move will speed up returning Indians travelling illegally to the UK and prevent them seeking asylum. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said this will strengthen immigration rules and stop dangerous journeys. It follows a surge in small boat crossings from India. Designating India as safe means illegal arrivals can't make protection claims. The list includes countries where there is no general risk of persecution. The UK says India meets the criteria after rigorous assessment.

Pakistan has shifted policy and will no longer support the Afghan Taliban at the international level or provide other assistance, after the Taliban failed to neutralize the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terror group as expected. Pakistan hoped the Taliban would stop using Afghan soil against Pakistan after taking power, but they refused despite straining ties. Pakistan gave many incentives to facilitate the Taliban government, but will no longer extend special favors as the Taliban harbor TTP militants targeting Pakistan. A high-level Pakistani delegation in February warned the Taliban to choose between Pakistan and TTP, but the Taliban insist Pakistan's security issues are domestic. Pakistan now sees Kabul's double-speak on militants as unacceptable.

Israel has demanded immediate action against photojournalists who were allegedly present and photographed the October 7 Hamas attack on the Gaza border. Israel accused the journalists of being "accomplices in crimes against humanity" by joining in covering Hamas' acts. The Government Press Office sent an urgent letter seeking clarification from media bureaus employing the photographers. Israel cited a report identifying six photojournalists present during the attack working for Reuters, AP and NYT. Reuters denied having prior knowledge, stating its photographers arrived after the attack began. Israel insists the journalists violated ethics by being present during the terror attack.

The World Health Organization warned that Gaza faces increased risk of infectious diseases spreading due to Israeli airstrikes disrupting health services. Fuel shortages have caused desalination plants to shut down, risking bacterial infections from contaminated water. 18 of 35 hospitals in Gaza have closed due to lack of electricity and supplies, overburdening remaining facilities. Solid waste collection has been disrupted, increasing insects and rodents that transmit disease. Shortages of food, water, and medicine compound the crisis. Though Israel has allowed some aid, it refuses fuel deliveries. With weakened health systems amid overcrowding, the WHO said worrying disease trends are already emerging in Gaza.

France is hosting a Gaza aid conference where officials are discussing a potential 1-3 day ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of over 240 hostages held by Hamas, but no agreement has been reached yet. Israel's PM Netanyahu insists there will be no ceasefire 'until hostages are freed', while Hamas says no release until ceasefire. Emmanuel Macron said a "humanitarian pause" and ceasefire are urgently needed in Gaza to protect civilians. While Israel's allies avoided ceasefire calls but instead called for “humanitarian pauses”, Macron went further stating that "civilians must be protected" which is "indispensable and non-negotiable." UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said, “The United Nations cannot be part of a unilateral proposal to push Palestinians into so-called safe zones.” Doctors Without Borders chief, Isabelle Defourny, called southern Gaza safe a "fake zones" with 30% of Gazans dead there. UN rights chief Volker Turk criticized Israel's "unlawful evacuations." Belgium's deputy PM Petra De Sutter called for EU sanctions on Israel over "inhumane" bombings.

The IDF opened another evacuation corridor in northern Gaza for civilians to flee south for 6 hours today after 50,000 used the safe passage yesterday. IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee warned residents not to listen to Hamas leaders residing abroad and to move south for safety via the corridor on Salah a-Din Street. Previous days saw the corridor open for only 4 hours compared to the 6 hours announced for today. In the fightings that occurred in the last 24 hours, The IDF said it killed a senior Hamas commander responsible for anti-tank missile operations in Gaza. Ibrahim Abu-Maghsib who directed "numerous" missile launches at Israelis. Separately, the navy struck Hamas missile sites in Gaza. Troops uncovered a Hamas drone manufacturing facility and weapons depot in a residential building next to a Gaza City school. The IDF said it recovered drones, bomb-making equipment, and explosives at the site near children's bedrooms.