By David Deans/BBC
Cardiff, November 8: The Welsh Parliament backed calls for a ceasefire in Gaza in a vote on Wednesday evening.
Mark Drakeford abstained as 11 of his Labour backbenchers supported a Plaid Cymru motion deploring the conflict.
Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid leader, said both Hamas’ attacks on Israel and the “collective punishment” of Gaza were unjust and inhumane.
His motion was backed by a total of 24 Members of the Senedd (MSs), while 19 voted against.
The Welsh Conservative group and four Labour members opposed the ceasefire calls. There were 13 abstentions from Welsh Labour government ministers.
First Minister Mr Drakeford – who has stuck close to UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s position of calling for a humanitarian pause – sat in the parliament for the debate but did not take part.
Both he and Sir Keir have been under pressure to back a ceasefire from within their own parties.
Shouts of “free Palestine” were heard from the public gallery after the result was announced.
The Plaid Cymru motion, which was also backed by Welsh Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds, condemned the “horrifying attacks carried out by Hamas against Israeli civilians”.
It also condemned “the Israeli government’s indiscriminate attacks on Gaza, resulting in the death of thousands of innocent” Palestinians.
The Senedd has no jurisdiction over international affairs but its politicians often express their own views on the topic.
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