Israel suspended its offensive in Gaza for three hours on Wednesday to allow food and other aid reach to Palestinians.

The recess in offensive operations was made to allow supplies and fuel arrive and will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time, (6 a.m. to 9 a.m. EST), Peter Lerner, spokesman for the Israeli army said, according to the Associated Press.

Israel will respond to every attack against its army during the pause, Lerner added.

The pause is not a solution but it's a first step, said John Ging, the chief of operations for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, according to the New York Times Wednesday.

The United Nations body exercised pressure over Israel after its offensive struck near a U.N. school killing 39 people including women and children on Tuesday. Israel's military contended that Hamas fighters had fired mortars from the building. the U.N. called for an independent investigation into the matter.

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