First Open Split: Israel Rebuffs Allies’ Calls To Pause Gaza Assault

Israel is rejecting calls for respite in Gaza as its closest allies in the West have coalesced around the idea of “humanitarian pauses”, or temporary stops to the bombardment.

Growing international distress at the conditions for 2.3 million people trapped under the heaviest air strikes Israel has ever unleashed on the Mediterranean enclave led major powers this week to call on Israel to allow such pauses to get aid in and Israeli hostages held by Hamas out.

The issue has opened the first public split between Israel and backers including the United States, the EU, UK and other G7 members such as Japan over the campaign after tight alignment and support in the nearly three weeks since the outbreak of the conflict.

“Israel is opposed to a humanitarian pause or ceasefire,” Lior Haiat, Israel’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, said while a senior Israeli official said calls for a pause in fighting appeared in “poor faith.”

REUTERS