The executive calls for respect for international law and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza

In addition to condemning "the unspeakable attack of the Hamas organization, for undermining the values on which this city was founded", the Executive approved, at Monday's meeting, the vote, presented by the movement Rui Moreira: Aqui Há Porto, which calls on Israel to respect international law and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

Approved by a majority, with the CDU voting against and the Bloco de Esquerda abstaining, the document underlines that the October 7 attack is "manifestly hostile to the principles for which the city of Porto has historically fought and which are in its DNA, such as freedom, human dignity, tolerance and solidarity".

In this sense, the Municipality provides "its solidarity with the state of Israel and its people, while still expressing condolences to the victims" of the attack by the Palestinian resistance group.

Reinforcing that "the state of Israel must not respond to hatred with more hatred, to barbarism with more barbarism, to terrorism with more terrorism", the Executive agreed with the call for Israelis to act "with rationality and proportionality in Gaza, respecting international law, safeguarding civilian lives and the basic infrastructures of the population".

This while making it possible to "open humanitarian corridors", "not closing the door to negotiations that allow, quickly, to reach a ceasefire, recover the Israeli hostages and move towards an effective two-state solution".

The vote recalls that "given the dizzying unfolding of events, the civilian populations on both sides are the ones who suffer the most, subject to daily bombardments, more intense in Palestinian territory".

Faced with the opposition of the communist councillor, Ilda Figueiredo, to the proposal, the Mayor of Porto made a point of mentioning that "one of the first countries to recognize the State of Israel was the Soviet Union".

The Bloco de Esquerda also presented a "vote of condemnation for the crimes of terrorism perpetrated by Hamas" and for the collective punishment committed by the State of Israel against the Palestinian people.

The proposal was, however, rejected by the Rui Moreira: Aqui Há Porto movement, by the PSD and by the socialist councillor Maria João Castro (BE, CDU and PS councillor Tiago Barbosa Ribeiro were favourable), and the Executive showed disagreement regarding the formulation of the recitals of the proposal.