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Afghanistan and Pakistan have announced a temporary pause in their ongoing conflict to observe Eid al-Fitr.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Last month, Pakistan launched a wave of military operations against Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, saying the campaign was triggered by a surge in cross-border attacks carried out by militant groups such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Pakistan accuses the Taliban of harboring. Pakistani officials argue their objective is to dismantle what they describe as terrorist safe havens and infrastructure used to plan and launch attacks on Pakistani civilians and security forces. The Taliban government denies providing sanctuary to these groups and instead claims Pakistan is using counterterrorism as a pretext to violate Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

What’s going on now: In a deal brokered by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Türkiye, both Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to temporarily halt military operations during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr (which marks the end of Ramadan). Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the pause would run for several days as a gesture of goodwill and in line with Islamic values, but warned that any cross-border attack or militant incident would trigger an immediate resumption of operations. On the Afghan side, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said they would also suspend fighting, while warning that they would respond forcefully to any aggression.

The pause comes amid a sharp escalation in violence that has created a major humanitarian crisis. Hundreds of people have been killed in recent weeks, including a controversial airstrike on a large addiction treatment hospital in Kabul, where Afghan officials say more than 400 people were killed, though the United Nations has reported a lower verified toll of at least 143. Beyond the hospital attack, the broader conflict has left hundreds dead and injured since late February, with around 115,000 people displaced from their homes and critical infrastructure damaged.

What both sides want to end the conflict: Pakistan has made clear it wants Afghanistan’s Taliban government to crack down on militant groups like the TTP and eliminate what it calls terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil. The Taliban has said it wants an end to Pakistani airstrikes and military incursions, insisting on respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and denying that they harbor or support militants targeting Pakistan.