A 'ceasefire' (or 'truce') is a temporary stoppage of a
war or any
armed conflict, where each side of the conflict agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal
treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces.
Historical examples
World War I
On
December 25,
1914, during
World War I, there was an unofficial ceasefire as both the Germans and the British sought to observe Christmas (the "
Christmas Truce"). There was no treaty signed, and after a few days the war resumed.
Korean War
A ceasefire was reached on
July 27,
1953 to halt the conflict of the
Korean War and establish a
demilitarized zone. However, no
peace treaty has been signed to date, technically leaving
North and
South Korea at war.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
A more recent example of a ceasefire was announced between
Israel and the
Palestinian Authority on
February 8,
2005. When announced, the chief Palestinian negotiator
Saeb Erakat publicly defined the ceasefire as follows: "We have agreed that today President
Abbas will declare a full
cessation of violence against Israelis anywhere and Prime Minister
Sharon will declare a full cessation of violence and military activities against Palestinians anywhere."
[1]
References
1. Mideast cease-fire expected Tuesday Ben Wedeman
See also
★
Armistice
★
Peace treaty