South Africa co-sponsored a motion at the international Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) calling on the international community not to be biased in the Israeli/Palestine conflict, and while it accused Israel of war crimes, it made no mention of Hamas.

While the motion didn't muster the required level of support to be debated at the IPU general assembly, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula did, however, call on legislators the world over to work together to foster lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has claimed the lives of thousands of people, including innocent children.

Just over two weeks ago, the militant Palestinian movement Hamas launched a surprise attack in Israel, in which, according to the Israeli authorities, more than 1 400 people, mostly civilians, were killed and more than 200 hostages were taken.

Israel has been bombing Gaza and, in a move that human rights organisations describe as unlawful, laid siege to Gaza, cutting off supplies of food, water, fuel, and electricity to its civilian population.

At least 6 546 Palestinians, including 2 704 children, were killed and 17 439 wounded in Israeli strikes since 7 October, the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Mapisa-Nqakula addressed the general assembly of the 147th session of the IPU under the theme "Parliamentary action for peace, justice, and strong institutions," currently underway in Luanda, Angola.

The IPU consists of parliamentarians from around the world, and the general assembly, which commenced on Monday, will end on Friday.

According to a statement from Parliament, Mapisa-Nqakula said it is only through dialogue, negotiation, and respect for human rights that true peace and stability can be achieved.

She further urged the legislators to take concrete action and implement the United Nations resolution for a just, comprehensive, and peaceful two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. She said South Africa stands ready to contribute its expertise in mediation and conflict resolution, drawing from its experience not just on the African continent but around the world.

Mapisa-Nqakula also reminded the assembly of the words of South Africa's first democratic president, Nelson Mandela, when he said: "We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians."

South Africa, on behalf of the African group of Parliaments at the IPU, and Algeria and Kuwait, on behalf of the Arab Group, Indonesia, and Iran, proposed a motion for the assembly's agenda titled "Stopping the war and violations of human rights in Gaza."

However, it could not muster the two-thirds support that is required for a motion to be debated.

The motion's explanatory memorandum accuses Israel of "blindly and openly" committing war crimes but makes no mention of Hamas, who attacked civilians and took hostages.

"The mounting crisis in Gaza, in particular, is a continuation of the violation of human rights and commission of crimes by the Israeli authority. It includes decades of violence against and intimidation of Palestinian people, the annexation of Palestinian land and illegal occupation, desecration of the Al-Aqsa Complex, provocation of anti-Palestinian sentiment, ethnic cleansing, and torture of Palestinian prisoners.

"Moreover, the blockade and isolation of the Gaza Strip has lasted for more than a decade since 2006, without any exception for humanitarian access and without any progress in negotiations. These acts violate international humanitarian law and the Charter of the United Nations," reads the memorandum.

The motion itself, among other things, takes into account "the urgent need to resolve the stalemate, which has persisted since 2014, in the Israeli–Palestinian negotiations, and that biased responses from some countries on the current conflict in the Gaza Strip will only exacerbate the situation, are counterproductive to the international humanitarian mechanism in the field, and undermine global social cohesion that can lead towards a peace process".

The motion would have further urged "the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop its military aggression by way of a complete ceasefire" called "upon the United Nations and its relevant bodies to act immediately to protect civilians, including by lifting the humanitarian aid blockade of the Gaza Strip"; and urged the "prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to investigate in depth the current situation as part of his ongoing investigation which focuses on crimes within the jurisdiction of the court allegedly committed in connection with the situation in Palestine since 13 June 2014".

The motion would also have encouraged "the international community to be more objective and fairer in assessing the situation in Palestine, and refrain from resorting to double standards and hypocritical views, as such responses will not solve the root cause of the problem or help resume the peace process negotiations, which have been stalling since 2014".

The IPU's president, Portuguese MP Duarte Pacheco, and its secretary-general, Cameroonian Martin Chungong, released a statement on 12 October expressing their alarm at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"We reiterate our utter condemnation of any violence against civilians. The acts of terror committed by Hamas have done nothing to help the Palestinian people. These acts are deeply inhumane. We call on Hamas to immediately release all Israeli hostages," reads the statement.

"Food, water, fuel, and medical supplies are running dangerously low in the Gaza Strip, compounding an already dire situation in one of the most densely populated places on Earth. We appeal for a humanitarian truce. We call on all sides to pause. We urge the authorities to allow urgent relief, essential supplies, and aid workers to enter Gaza safely."

In March last year, the South African delegation to the IPU, also led by Mapisa-Nqakula, did not support a resolution stating "the ongoing Russian use of force against Ukraine is a violation of the Charter of the United Nations, including the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity."