Humanitarian pause: what it means and how it differs from a ceasefire
World divided between calling for a complete cessation of fighting and a temporary truce to allow aid to reach Gaza
![Keir Starmer](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KGrbLCmmmdNs2LP2zjeTuk-415-80.jpg)
The question of whether to call for a ceasefire or a humanitarian pause in the Israel-Hamas conflict is dividing political leaders worldwide.
Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that a ceasefire could risk further violence, putting him at odds with at least 13 of his shadow ministers who have called for a permanent end to the fighting.
"While I understand calls for a ceasefire at this stage, I do not believe that it is the correct position now," the Labour leader told the foreign policy think tank Chatham House in London. An immediate ceasefire could allow Hamas to carry out further attacks, he said, and might prevent the release of the hostages kidnapped during the 7 October attacks. Instead, he said, a humanitarian pause was the answer, to allow aid to reach the besieged Gaza Strip and for Palestinians to evacuate.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-1920-80.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-1600-80.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-1280-80.jpg 1280w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-768-80.jpg 768w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-415-80.jpg 415w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-360-80.jpg 360w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg 320w)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What is a humanitarian pause?
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a humanitarian pause is defined as a "temporary cessation of hostilities purely for humanitarian purposes", to allow aid into war zones. It requires "the agreement of all relevant parties", and is usually in force for "a defined period and specific geographic area".
"I was encouraged in the last days by what seemed to be a growing consensus in the international community… for the need of at least a humanitarian pause in the fighting," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Much of the international community is calling for this kind of temporary decision, said HuffPost, because Gaza "has been under siege for more than three weeks", with food, fuel and goods blocked by Israeli forces "in retaliation" for Hamas's attacks on Israeli soil.
"A humanitarian pause would effectively be a truce to allow passage of aid or displaced people," Samir Puri, a lecturer on war studies at King's College London, told Al Jazeera.
How does that differ from a ceasefire?
Calls for a ceasefire "have been growing louder worldwide", said Reuters, as Israel's bombardment of Gaza escalates into a humanitarian crisis and communications blackout, with hundreds of thousands of people protesting in cities around the world in support of Palestinians.
OCHA defines a ceasefire as "a suspension of fighting agreed upon by the parties to the conflict, typically as part of a political process". It is "intended to be long-term".
Ceasefires "do not announce the end of a conflict", said DW, but they intend to "put the opposing parties in communication with one another about potential permanent settlements". Unlike a humanitarian pause, the declaration of a ceasefire "often applies to the entire geographical area of a conflict".
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is effectively "unimaginable" at the moment, said Puri, given that "a binding agreement with signatories and associated de-escalatory obligations" would be required.
During a visit to Russia last week, a member of a Hamas delegation reportedly said the group would not release the hostages until a ceasefire agreement was reached.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that a ceasefire would mean asking Israel to surrender to terrorism and barbarism. "The Bible says that there is a time for peace and a time for war," he said. "This is a time for war."
Why are countries divided on the issue?
Last week, Russia and China vetoed a US resolution at the UN Security Council calling for a humanitarian pause. Instead, they called for a ceasefire – a motion proposed twice by Russia, and vetoed by the UK and the US: "both of whom are accustomed to shielding Israel from Security Council action", said Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based broadcaster.
On Friday, only 14 countries opposed a Jordanian motion at the UN General Assembly calling for a sustained humanitarian truce, with the motion passing by 120 votes to 14, with 45 countries abstaining including the UK, Ukraine and Germany. The US chose not to back the motion at all, said HuffPost. "Like many other Western allies, Washington wanted the motion to explicitly mention Hamas, rather than just condemning 'all attacks of violence'."
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/33xsreomaw1692698888.png)
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.
-
Today's political cartoons - December 2, 2023
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - governors go Gotham, A.I. goes to the office party, and more
By The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: December 2, 2023
Daily Briefing Death toll climbs in Gaza as airstrikes intensify, George Santos expelled from the House of Representatives, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the George Santos expulsion vote
Cartoons Artists take on Santa versus Santos, his X account, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Israel reportedly had actual Hamas attack plan a year before Oct. 7 assault
Speed Read Israeli officials considered the intercepted battle plan too ambitious and out of step with their view that Hamas didn't want a war with Israel, documents show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel plans next phase of Gaza war as first hostages released
Speed read After four-day ceasefire 'we will not stop' until destruction of Hamas, says Israel
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is history repeating itself in Darfur?
Today's Big Question Escalation of violence, alleged atrocities and ethnic cleansing in civil war raise fears of genocide akin to 2003
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital battle: a 'diplomatic failure' for Israel
Talking Point Window to defeat Hamas is 'closing', warns former Israeli PM, as hospital scenes swing public opinion
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
How war in Gaza is impacting the West Bank
The Explainer Settler violence against Palestinians surges since 7 October attack in attempt 'to redraw the demographic map'
By The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine's counteroffensive: has it failed?
Talking Point Russia-Ukraine war has entered period of 'static, attritional warfare'
By The Week UK Published
-
Why is the US arming Taiwan?
Today's Big Question Washington approves millions in arms packages to protect diplomatic ally, despite fury from China
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why Palestinians aren't fleeing Gaza during Israel's bombardment
The Explainer Israel has urged Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza as it fights to destroy Hamas, but lots of Palestinians are staying put
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published