Glasgow councillors have called for support for innocent Palestinians in the war in Gaza while two Tory politicians refused to take part in the council discussion today.

Councillor Thomas Kerr said he stands for Israel and chose to miss the council debate, which saw leader Susan Aitken bring a motion saying “innocent people must not pay the price for the actions of Hamas.”

While condemning the attack by Hamas in her motion, councillor Aitken said: “It wasn’t the Palestinian people who carried out the attacks – it was Hamas.”

The motion, which was presented at a council meeting earlier today, said: “Council calls on the UK Government to support a ceasefire and humanitarian corridor, to commit supplies and aid to mitigate the human tragedy unfolding in Gaza and to be prepared to offer sanctuary and support to Palestinian refugees.”

Councillor Aitken said: “There is no possible justification or rationalisation for the massacres experienced by Jewish people by Hamas.  But collective punishment of Palestinians goes against everything the international community deems acceptable in the conduct of war. It must stop and stop now.”

Seconding the motion, SNP councillor Zen Ghani said “it is right this motion calls for an immediate ceasefire.”

He said that “every human life holds equal value.”

Labour and the Scottish Greens added amendments to the SNP motion, which were accepted.

Bringing an amendment, Councillor Hanif Raja, Labour, said the war dates back 75 years.

A Labour addition to the amendment seconded by councillor Soryia Siddique said: “Council condemns the actions of the Israeli Government in their disproportionate response by witholding basic necessities from innocent civilians in Gaza and agrees that Israel must respect international law.”

Councillor Siddique said: “The last few weeks have been catastrophic in Israel and Gaza. The images of children and families traumatised, injured or dead have been deeply disturbing.”

A Scottish Green amendment was also amalgamated brought by councillor Leodhas Massie and Dan Hutchison urging “both sides to heed calls for a ceasefire and to work towards peace.”

The passed motion, which was agreed by all three parties apart from the Conservatives called for the release of all hostages and “recognises the right of Israel, in common with all nations, to protect itself from terror.” The motion said it shares the “sorrow and outrage of Glasgow’s Jewish community and offers condolences “to the family of Glaswegian Bernard Cowan who was murdered in the attacks.”

The council’s two Conservative councillors Thomas Kerr and John Daly who did not back the motion stayed away from the Gaza discussion at the chambers in the city centre but returned afterwards.

Councillor Kerr said: “I am extremely disappointed that parties across Glasgow City Council have been unable to unite on this issue today. For too many, their own narrow-minded political interests have been put above those suffering in the Middle East.

“That is why the Glasgow Conservatives cannot take part in today’s debate. We stand with Israel after the brutal terror attacks by Hamas on October 7th.”

He called for a “humanitarian pause to allow vital supplies” in.

Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7 killing more than 1,400 people. Since then Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 7,000 people have been killed in the territory since Israel launched strikes in retaliation according to the BBC.