The House of Representatives approved in favour by majority vote a resolution condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel.
The resolution passed on Thursday with 34 votes was tabled by the parliamentary groups of the Democratic Rally, the Democratic Party and Democratic Alignment.
A second resolution tabled by left-wing AKEL was rejected after garnering only 14 votes in favour.
Before the start of deliberations, the plenary observed a one-minute silence for the victims of the attacks.
Israeli Ambassador Oren Anolik and a representative from the US embassy were also present.
The resolution condemns the attack by Hamas, officially the Islamic Resistance Movement, against the people and state of Israel.
It deemed the “terrorist attack unacceptable and completely intolerable”, along with the subsequent infiltration of Hamas members into the country, killing, tormenting, and abducting innocent civilians.
The plenary said it observes with “horror and profound sadness the large number of casualties, injuries, and missing persons caused by the asymmetric terrorist attacks by Hamas and the ongoing hostage-taking of innocent civilians”.
It considers the unlawful violence against a sovereign nation as a “blatant act of terrorism perpetrated by a radical terrorist organisation that blatantly violates the international rule of law”.
“The heinous acts of Hamas inevitably led to a declaration of war by Israel”.
MPs called for the immediate cessation of Hamas attacks against the civilian population, children, and the elderly, as well as the cessation of hostilities, and urged the immediate release of all hostages and abducted women and children.
There was a call for the cessation of all forms of violence against the civilian population, the de-escalation of tension in East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank, and the restoration of essential public services in Gaza.
Furthermore, it condemned “states and entities that harbour or support terrorist organisations, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, exacerbating instability in the Middle East”.
Parliament called on the international community to address the humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict by providing humanitarian assistance for the needs of the civilian population, including medical care, food, and other essential items.
The resolution calls for an immediate initiative by the international community to restart the process of finding a solution to the Palestinian problem.
