US secretary of state Antony Blinken’s push for a “pause” in Israel’s assault on Gaza has highlighted how allies are pivoting from unconditional support for Israeli self-defence to a focus on the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.
In the weeks following the October 7 attack by Gaza-based Hamas militants who killed 1,400 Israelis, mainly civilians, Israel’s allies have largely avoided urging restraint in its military response.
Over the past 10 days, amid soaring numbers of civilian casualties and brutal imagery of Israel’s air and ground assault on Gaza, a significant shift in tone and rhetoric has occurred, with western allies calling for pauses in the conflict in order to help protect the enclave’s non-combatants, and free hostages held by the terror group.