Can't be denied terrorist attack by Hamas cause of Israel war: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday said it cannot be denied that the terrorist attack by Hamas was the cause of the Israel-Gaza war and asserted that the immediate task at hand was to stop the violence and his party had issued a statement and adopted a resolution in that context.

In a post on X, Chidambaram said the Israel-Gaza war threatens to escalate and cause more deaths on both sides.

"It cannot be denied that the terrorist attack by Hamas was the cause of this war. Hamas has earned the world's condemnation," he said.

The former Union minister said that the massive retaliation by Israel against Gaza has intensified the violence.

Apart from soldiers, hundreds of civilians including women and children have been killed, he noted.

Violence does not solve anything and it certainly will not solve the decades-old enmity between Israel and the de facto rulers of Gaza, he said.

"The immediate task at hand is to stop the violence. It is in the context of stopping the violence and the killings that the Congress issued a statement and adopted a resolution," Chidambaram said.

The world must unite and do everything possible to stop the violence in the Middle East, he stressed.

His remarks came after the Congress on Tuesday had asserted there are no differences in the party on the Congress Working Committee resolution that had a paragraph on the conflict and reminded the Bharatiya Janata Party of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee favouring the cause of the Palestinian people, after the ruling party slammed it for not referring to the terror attack on Israel in its resolution.

In the last paragraph of the party's working committee resolution, the Congress had said: "Finally, the CWC expresses its dismay and anguish on the war that has broken out in the Middle East where over a thousand people have been killed in the last two days."

"The CWC reiterates its long-standing support for the rights of the Palestinian people to land, self-government and to live with dignity and respect. The CWC calls for an immediate cease-fire and for negotiations to begin on all outstanding issues, including the imperative issues that have given rise to the present conflict."

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had on Sunday said his party has always believed that the legitimate aspirations of the people of Palestine must be fulfilled through dialogue while ensuring the national security interests of the Israelis.

"The Indian National Congress condemns the brutal attacks on the people of Israel," he had said on X.

Ramesh had also said his party "has always believed that the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a life of self-respect, equality and dignity must be fulfilled only through a process of dialogue and negotiations while ensuring the legitimate national security interests of the Israeli people".

"Violence of any type never provides a solution and must stop," the Congress leader had said.

The multi-pronged attacks against Israel by Hamas from Gaza since Saturday and the subsequent Israeli retaliation have left around 2,600 people dead. Israel has launched a massive counter offensive in Gaza to avenge the attacks by Hamas.

The sudden escalation in hostilities between Israel and Palestine has triggered global concerns. Leading powers like Germany, the US, France and the UK emphasised the importance of preventing the situation from further escalation.