EU leaders have called for “corridors and pauses” as a means to get badly needed humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The joint statement issued after five hours of talks at the Brussels summit called for safe and unhindered access.

Members of the UN Security Council argued for a longer, single pause in the fighting after days of disagreement.

After Hamas’s attack on Gaza in which 1,400 people were killed and 224 hostages were taken, Israel began bombing Gaza and cutting off fuel, food, and other supplies.

In Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 7,000 people have been killed since then, and the health system is collapsing, with a third of hospitals not functioning and the rest treating only emergency cases.

Recently, only small amounts of aid have reached Gaza.

Following the 7 October attacks, this is the first face-to-face meeting between EU leaders.

They condemn Hamas’ attacks and emphasize Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with international law.

“The European Council expresses its gravest concern for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and calls for continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through all necessary measures, including humanitarian corridors and pauses for humanitarian needs,” the statement states.

An institution representing 27 countries with fundamentally different views on the Israel-Palestine conflict may not seem like much, but for a group that represents 27 countries, it’s a compromise.

“Humanitarian pauses” are meant to be short intervals of just a few hours, during which the EU can “work closely with partners in the region to protect civilians, provide assistance, and facilitate access to food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, ensuring such assistance is not abused by terrorist organizations,” the statement states.