The Israeli army on Wednesday said that it would hold fire in the Gaza Strip for three hours every day to allow local residents to receive basic supplies.

Starting from Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is expected to cease its operation across the Hamas-ruled enclave from 1:00 PM (1100 GMT) to 4:00 PM (1400 GMT), an IDF spokesman told Xinhua, adding that the plan was part of Israel's "humanitarian corridor" efforts.

Yet should Hamas fire at Israeli forces during the three hours, the IDF would respond accordingly, local daily The Jerusalem Post quoted a defense official as saying.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said that the Jewish state has decided to set up a humanitarian corridor in Gaza to deliver basic supplies to local residents in order to "prevent a humanitarian crisis" in the coastal strip devastated by massive bombardment and fierce battle.

"This would entail opening geographic areas for certain periods of time during which the population would be able to equip itself and receive the assistance," said the office in a statement.

Local residents would also use the periods to repair the damaged infrastructure, which UN officials said was on the brink of breaking. Shortages of power and running water have been widely reported in Gaza.

Although Israel has pledged to ease the humanitarian situation while carrying out the offensive and has allowed hundreds of truckloads of supplies into the enclave, the United Nations and Palestinian officials have said the impoverished and crowded strip is already bracing for a worsening humanitarian crisis due to shortages of food, fuel and medicine.

Over 600 have been killed and more than 2,700 others wounded in Gaza since the so-called Operation Cast Lead began on December 27, and the death toll is certain to rise. Palestinian and UN figures showed that some 300 of the killed are civilians and some 130 are children aged 16 and under.

On the Israeli side, 10 have been killed so far, including four soldiers fallen in two friendly fire incidents.

Amid growing international pressure for an immediate truce, Israeli leaders met on Wednesday to decide whether to push ahead the ongoing ground operation.

Local news service Ynet reported that should it be approved, tens of thousands of reserve soldiers would be brought into the battle in order to tighten the rope around Hamas' neck.

Meanwhile, the leadership might as well opt for a ceasefire, as the Jewish state is seeking a desirable exit out of the 12-day warfare, with the United States, its staunch ally, insisting on a "durable and sustainable" ceasefire, which many analysts said represents Israel's ultimate realistic goal.

(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2009)