Germany"s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, right, speaks with Austria"s foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg during a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Photograph: Virginia Mayo/AP European Union EU expected to back call for ‘humanitarian pauses’ of Gaza shelling Unity among EU leaders comes after ‘difficult discussions’ and days of arguments over terminology to use Israel and Hamas at war – live updates Lisa O"Carroll Brussels correspondent @lisaocarroll Thu 26 Oct 2023 05.00 BST The EU is expected to unanimously back a call for “humanitarian pauses” of the shelling in Gaza to allow food, water and medical supplies to reach Palestinians on multiple occasions. But the unity came after what one diplomat described as “difficult discussions” between member states who have spent days arguing over what terminology to use in relation to Israel’s right to defend itself. Earlier drafts of an official declaration to be signed off at a summit of leaders in Brussels on Thursday proposed a call for “a humanitarian pause” to allow “rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need”. The singular term “pause” was deemed too close to the phrase “ceasefire” for several member states – thought to include Germany, Austria and the Czech republic – who were concerned it might weaken the message around Israel’s right to defend itself. It appeared that the compromise was “pauses” which could mean a humanitarian corridor could be opened up on multiple occasions to allow vital supplies in and possibly refugees out. But even with agreement there are conflicting views. One diplomat said they “didn’t care” whether “pause” or “pauses” was in the official communique for the summit but were concerned about handing Hamas an opportunity. “If the pause is too long it will help Hamas to recover and attack again,” they said. The difficulty agreeing the language reflects one of the most damaging episodes for the EU in many years. One senior source said that contrary to impressions given by some, there were “a range of views on the crisis” and there had been so much “heavy lifting” in the last few days to agree the text, they had avoided turning the summit into a “drafting session”. After the unity and leadership shown amid the Covid pandemic and then Ukraine, cracks over the Middle East were on display in the first 48 hours of Hamas’s invasion of Israel with the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen clashing with the European council president Charles Michel over the need to ensure Israel’s defence was in line with international law. Some believe the EU can quickly move on and help efforts to facilitate a renewal of talks over a two-state solution. Others think the damage has already been done. “We were heavily criticised in Cairo [peace summit]. It was as if all the outreach we have done over the last two years [to Arab nations] has been pissed up against the wall,” they said. Another diplomat admitted the situation was “much more difficult” than Ukraine but stressed there was a “strong shared view on the importance of humanitarian access” among all states, even those that quibbled over the word “pause”. In an effort to put Ukraine back to the top of the agenda, EU leaders will spend most of the afternoon talking about the war as it goes into its second winter with Volodymyr Zelenskiy joining part of the discussion by videolink. Diplomats said they are determined to “send a strong message to the world” that Ukraine remains front and centre in EU policy and they “will not lose sight” of the need to defeat Russia and will support Ukraine “for as long as it takes”. On the margins of the summit there are also renewed efforts to get talks between Serbia and Kosovo back up and running. At the week a high-powered delegation including the US’s special envoy to the Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, and representatives of France, Germany, Italy and the EU, flew to Belgrade and Pristina for separate talks with the Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić and the Kosovan president, Albin Kurti. Both Balkan leaders are expected to meet the EU team before the summit. You"ve read 11 articles in the last year Article count on … there is a good reason why people choose not to support the Guardian. Not everyone can afford to pay for the news right now. That’s why we choose to keep our journalism open for everyone to read. If this is you, please continue to read for free. But if you can, then here are three good reasons to make the choice to support us today from Egypt. 1. Our quality, investigative journalism is a scrutinising force at a time when the rich and powerful are getting away with more and more. 2. 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