By Nur Asena Erturk
ANKARA (AA) – The Members of the EU Parliament passed a resolution Thursday that urged a cease-fire in Gaza under two conditions.
The resolution was adopted in a 312 - 131 vote, with 72 abstentions, following amendments.
The MEPs urged the immediate release of all hostages and the "dismantlement" of the Palestinian group, Hamas, which is considered a terror organization.
It emphasized the gravity of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip amid Israeli airstrikes and the high number of civilian casualties.
The MEPs urged both sides to work toward peace and a two-state solution.
Lawmakers recognized Israel’s right to defend itself but they also admitted its disproportionate military response in Gaza.
Israel has pounded Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv said killed nearly 1,200 people.
At least 24,620 Palestinians have since been killed in the Israeli response, mostly women and children, and 61,830 injured, according to local health authorities.
According to the UN, around 85% of Gazans have been displaced by the Israeli onslaught, while all of the population is food insecure. Hundreds of thousands of people are living without shelter, and less than half of aid trucks are entering the territory than before the start of the conflict.