The Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, has unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the recent Hamas attacks in Israel.
The resolution was passed on Tuesday by 108 votes in favour, with no votes against or abstentions.
“Lithuania’s policy remains consistent. I think everyone will agree that we have supported Israel’s right to self-defence before and we condemn all acts of terror, both before and now,” Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said.
“In the same way, we cannot ignore the efforts of Russia’s ally Iran to develop nuclear weapons and to blackmail not only the countries in the region but much more widely in the future,” he added.
He insisted that the history of the Middle East must not be used to justify terrorism.
“History will have to be left to historians, and when acts of terror against civilians take place, we must stand together with Israel,” Anušauskas said.
The Lithuanian parliament’s resolution on “Terrorist attacks and military aggression against the State of Israel” strongly condemns the recent “bloody, unprovoked attacks in the State of Israel” by the “Iranian-backed Hamas group” and expresses condolences to the people of Israel.
It stresses that “the Israeli people, both civilians and soldiers, who have been taken hostage, must be released immediately”. It also calls on the government of foreign countries with official Hamas presence to expel their personnel, and expresses support for Israel’s actions “against the ongoing military provocations by the Hezbollah terrorist organisation”.
The Lithuanian Seimas also calls on the European Union to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as an international terrorist organisation, to express solidarity with Israel, and to provide political, intelligence and diplomatic support to Israel.
The resolution also insists that Hamas has no interest in the security and well-being of the population of the Gaza Strip and all other Palestinians.
Earlier in the day, the Seimas opened its plenary session with a minute of silence in memory of the people killed in Israel.
“Thousands of Israelis were killed, wounded and kidnapped when Hamas terrorists launched hostilities against Israel on October 7. We express our sincere condolences and solidarity with the State of Israel that has always been on the front lines of the fight against terrorism,” Parliament Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen said.
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, invading its territory and launching rocket attacks. Israel launched retaliatory strikes against Gaza. Hundreds of people have so far been killed in the conflict, both in Israel and in Gaza.
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