Secretary of State Antony Blinken showed his support for Israel at the United Nations Security Council but floated the idea of "humanitarian pauses" to protect civilians.

On Monday, Blinken stressed the "right and indeed the imperative" of states to defend themselves against attacks and the need to "unequivocally condemn Hamas and its barbaric terrorist attack against Israel." Later in the speech, Blinken floated the idea of "humanitarian pauses," a statement purposefully catered to avoid the term "ceasefire," later statements by U.S. officials showed.

NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER: YOUNGKIN BETS 15-WEEK ABORTION CAP WILL DELIVER 2023 GOP TAKEOVER

"Hamas must cease using [civilians] as human shields," he said. "Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians. It means food, medicine and water, and other assistance must flow into Gaza and to the areas people need them. It means civilians must be able to get out of harm's way. It means humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes."

The line was the one check on his largely pro-Israel speech, where he condemned others for not condemning Hamas strongly enough.

"Parents executed in front of their children. Children executed in front of their parents. And so many taken hostage in Gaza," Blinken said. "We have to ask — indeed, it must be asked — where's the outrage? Where's the revulsion? Where's the rejection? Where's the explicit condemnation of these horrors?"

Blinken's comments about "humanitarian pauses" were elaborated on by National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who said it was different from a ceasefire, a prospect the United States has condemned as favorable to Hamas.

"We want to see all measure of protection for civilians, and pauses in operation is a tool and a tactic that can do that for temporary periods of time," he said. "That is not the same as saying a ceasefire. Again, right now, we believe a ceasefire benefits Hamas, a general ceasefire."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Kirby clarified that what differentiates a ceasefire and "humanitarian pause" is "a question of duration and scope and size and that kind of thing."

Bombing from the Israel Defense Forces targeting Hamas forces in Gaza has taken a heavy civilian toll in collateral damage. The Hamas-overseen Health Ministry puts the total at 5,700 Palestinians, including 2,300 minors, according to the Associated Press. The overall total includes 704 killed over the past 24 hours. Over 1,400 Israelis have been killed as well, with most of these being civilians killed during Hamas's opening terror attack that sparked the war on Oct. 7.