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 24, 1914, there was an unofficial ceasefire as both France, the United Kingdom, and Germany sought to observe Christmas (the "Christmas truce"). No treaty was signed and the war resumed after a few days.

Korean War

A ceasefire was reached on July 27, 1953, to halt the conflict 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 National Authority on February 8, 2005. When announced, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat publicly defined the ceasefire as follows: "We have agreed that today President [Mahmoud] Abbas will declare a full cessation of violence against Israelis anywhere and Prime Minister [Ariel] Sharon will declare a full cessation of violence and military activities against Palestinians anywhere."^[1]

References

See also

• Surrender
• White flag
• Armistice
• Peace treaty

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