Humanitarian pause in Gaza: How it is not the same as a ceasefire

A brief break in hostilities…

The United Nations defines a “humanitarian pause” as a “temporary cessation of hostilities purely for humanitarian purposes”. Such pauses are usually limited to a defined period, and to a specific area where the humanitarian activities are to be carried out.
The statement released by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is noticeably vague on the exact geography of the announced pause but mentions a four-day time period, subject to being extended if further negotiations succeed.

With regards to humanitarian measures, the statement said that “50 civilian women and children hostages, currently held in the Gaza Strip” will be released “in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian women and children, detained in Israeli prisons.” Moreover, the pause will allow “the entry of a larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid, including fuel designated for humanitarian needs.”

… versus a more comprehensive cessation

A ceasefire, on the other hand, goes much further. The UN defines it as a “suspension of fighting agreed upon by the parties to a conflict, typically as part of a political process”, with the goal being to “allow parties to engage in dialogue, including the possibility of reaching a permanent political settlement”.

Simply put, unlike a humanitarian pause, which is fairly limited in its scope, a ceasefire is a longer-term arrangement to stop fighting in order to arrive at a political/diplomatic solution. In context of the ongoing conflict in Palestine, the two thus have completely different meanings as well as motivations behind them.

“A small bandage on an open wound”

Israel, and its allies in the West, are for most part strongly opposed to a ceasefire as they feel it will allow Hamas to “regroup”, thus nullifying Israel’s ongoing efforts.

Ahead of the cabinet vote which sanctioned the ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war against Hamas would resume after the truce expires. “We are at war, and we will continue the war … until we achieve all our goals,” he said.

Thus, the humanitarian pause will simply provide some relief amidst the relentless hostilities, hopefully help civilians in distress, while at the same time allowing Israel to continue its military assault. For many people, this is simply not enough and in fact prolongs the ongoing suffering.

“A humanitarian pause is nothing but a small bandage on an open wound and a way to draw this horror out longer,” Ibrahim Muhtadi, an artist from Gaza, wrote in The Guardian. “What good is a humanitarian pause for aid if the killing doesn’t stop?” he wrote.

Advocates of a ceasefire believe that for there to be any meaningful and lasting peace, Israel must lift its siege of Gaza, and relaunch negotiations, in good faith, for an independent Palestinian state.