"European Parliament Urges Permanent Ceasefire in Israel-Hamas Conflict"

The European Parliament has passed a symbolic resolution calling for a "permanent ceasefire" in Gaza and the start of political efforts to resolve the war between Israel and Hamas, marking a significant shift from its previous position. The resolution, which carries no legal weight, received 312 votes in favor and specifies that the ceasefire should be conditional on the release of all hostages held in Gaza and the "dismantling" of Hamas. The Parliament also condemned Israel's "disproportionate" military response in Gaza and supported a European initiative to resume the two-state solution. However, the European Council has not yet unanimously agreed to call for a ceasefire, with their official line being "humanitarian pauses and corridors."