Israel has agreed to observe an immediate two-hour humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza's Shejaiya neighbourhood, halting a blistering bombing campaign in the area, a military spokeswoman said on Sunday.

"There is going to be a humanitarian window between 1:30 and 3:30 (1030 and 1230 GMT) in Shejaiya," an army spokeswoman said.

Another military official said the move was in response to a request by the International Committee of the Red Cross.