PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE (25 April 2006)

That this House unreservedly condemns the bombing by Islamic Jihad of a Tel Aviv falafel stand during the Jewish Passover holiday on 17th April killing nine civilians and injuring 60 people; further condemns the killing of 19 Palestinians including three children by the Israeli army during the first two weeks of April; notes that 111 mainly civilian Palestinians were also injured during that period; further notes that in the week 12th to 18th April about 40 home-made Qassam rockets were fired by Palestinian militants inside Gaza towards targets in southern Israel and that during the same period Israeli regular forces fired more than 950 artillery shells and 40 F16 missiles into the Gaza strip; commends the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for his criticism of the Tel Aviv bombing; further notes that Hamas was not responsible for this attack but rejects Hamas leaders' description of it as an expression of Palestinian self-defence in the face of continuing Israeli violence; welcomes nevertheless the fact that Hamas declared a unilateral ceasefire many months ago which it has maintained; urges the Government of Israel also to declare a ceasefire; and calls on both sides to break the cycle of violence and to negotiate a just and lasting settlement in line with the Road Map and United Nations Resolutions passed on the Israel/Palestine question.

Sponsored by:
Ann McKechin (Labour)