By Ahmet Gencturk
ATHENS (AA) - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) highlighted the staggering number of civilian casualties in Gaza in a resolution Tuesday.
The draft resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, written by Italian lawmaker Piero Fassino, was discussed and adopted with 111 votes in favor, 22 against and 20 abstentions.
It said the displacement of half of Gaza’s population caused by the ongoing war has revived memories of the Nakba, or “catastrophe” in Arabic, referring to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with an insufficient volume of aid allowed, it noted, adding the Palestinian group Hamas is responsible for attacks on Israel and should be condemned.
On the situation in the other Palestinian territories, it said “episodes of settler violence against Palestinians have turned into a worrying pattern, leading to many deaths.”
It also warned that the risk of an expansion of the conflict into a reginal one cannot be excluded.
Also maintaining that the conflict would not bring peace and security to the region, the resolution called for a two-state solution that includes the formation of an independent Palestinian state within the internationally recognized borders.
Against this backdrop, it called for the immediate and unconditional release of all Israeli hostages by Hamas, an immediate and extended cease-fire in Gaza, compliance with international law and international humanitarian law by all parties of the conflict and the start of peace talks between Israel and Palestine.
Israel has mounted a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv said killed 1,200 people.
At least 25,490 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 63,354 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.