In a press briefing, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby announced that Israel has agreed to a temporary pause in the fighting in order to safely free two American hostages. This marks the first time the Biden administration has called for multiple pauses to allow aid in and help people leave Gaza. Kirby emphasized that they are exploring the idea of as many pauses as necessary to achieve these goals. While the administration has not called for a general cease-fire, Kirby stated that they are hopeful for continued cooperation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Kirby highlighted that each instance of a pause would be unique and require negotiation and diplomacy. However, he refrained from providing details about the specifics of the pause that freed the Americans, as the focus is on securing additional temporary pauses. Kirby stressed the importance of these pauses for the safe passage of hostages and argued against a general cease-fire, stating that it would benefit Hamas and hinder efforts to protect the Israeli people. So far, 74 Americans have left Gaza since the opening of the Rafah crossing, and more are expected to follow. President Biden also expressed his support for a pause in the conflict to facilitate the release of hostages during a campaign fundraiser. U.S. officials have reached out to hundreds of American citizens in Gaza to provide assistance and instructions on how to exit the conflict zone.