The Israel-Hamas War has entered its second month and the Jewish nation has intensified its airstrikes in Gaza and its military tanks and soldiers are making advances in the enclave. Morte than 10,000 people including 4,104 children have died in the conflict according to the Hamas health ministry.
Amid all this, there are growing calls for Israel to stop. The Arab leaders and nations have called in for ceasefire, the United States of America is pressing to put a pause the assault on Gaza. Now the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ready for little tactical pauses in Gaza to facilitate the entry of aid and the exit of hostages. However, he has still not agreed to place a ceasefire during an interview with a media agency.
When questioned about the possibility of humanitarian pauses in fighting, the Israeli PM said that a general ceasefire would hamper his country’s war effort. “As far as tactical pauses, an hour here and an hour there, we have had them before. I suppose that we will check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods to come in or our hostages, individual hostages, to leave Netanyahu said to a media organisation.
What are Humanitarian Pauses?
The terms Humanitarian Pauses and Ceasefire is not defined in international law. Those who find themselves embroiled in armed conflict are not required to adopt measures as per the law according to a British think tank. A pause is a temporary stop in the fighting which enables other things to happen. Pauses can be confined to specific areas to allow humanitarian activities. They are usually in force for a certain period of time and they can last as little as a few hours.
According to Samir Puri, a visiting lecturer at the Kings College in London, was quoted as saying by a media agency said “A Humanitarian pause would effectively be a truce to allow passage of aid or displaced people. As per Chatham House, the adoption of a humanitarian pause can promote obligations under the international humanitarian law
Pause and Ceasefire
The fundamental distinction between a pause and a ceasefire is the purpose of suspension – whether it is to allow a specific humanitarian activity to be conducted or whether it is a generalised suspension of hostilities.
A ceasefire generally means that the fighting between two warring sides ceases or stops. It comes into force after an agreement by the parties involved and often involves a formal political process with promises to de-escalate the conflict. This can involve withdrawing weapons and repositioning troops, according to a report by a media agency
A ceasefire usually covers the complete geographical area on which the war is being waged. It may lead to a permanent settlement, the report says. In the case of the Israel-Hamas war, a ceasefire would involve the withdrawal of tanks and troops from Gaza and a promise by Hamas to release all hostages captured by them since October 7, 2023.
America’s Stance
According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, humanitarian pauses can be critical in protecting civilians, getting aid in and getting foreign nationals out, “while still enabling Israel to achieve its objective, the defeat of Hamas,” a media organisation said.
Countries Demanding Ceasefire
Apart from the US and the Arab World, countries such as Russia and eighteen other humanitarian agencies of the United Nations have requested Israel to call for ceasefire and at least allow trucks and other healthcare cargo and goods to enter the conflict zone at least for civilians and innocents who are dying due to ongoing military operations.
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