European Union leaders will discuss Thursday a call for a “humanitarian pause” in the war between Israel and Hamas, AFP reports.

The 27-nation bloc has long been divided between more pro-Palestinian members, such as Ireland and Spain, and staunch supporters of Israel, including Germany and Austria.

After several days of negotiations, a draft declaration for the summit called for “continuous, rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access and assistance to reach those in need, through all necessary measures, including a humanitarian pause.”

This statement, which could be changed during the meeting of the leaders in Brussels, does not meet the requirements of the UN for a “ceasefire”.

Germany, wary of calls for a more definitive end that could tie Israel’s hands, has offered calls for humanitarian “windows” or “pauses.”

“Letters, commas, language matter, and that’s how agreements are reached,” a senior EU official said.

But diplomats in some EU countries warn that delays in finding the right words, as the death toll rises, are damaging the bloc’s global standing and leaving it disaffected.