'Shut down this war machine': Nogales becomes second Arizona city to call for Gaza cease-fire
Nogales became the second city in Arizona to pass a resolution supporting resolution calling on Congress to back Gaza cease-fire after a unanimous vote on Thursday.
The resolution supported federal House Resolution 786, which calls for an immediate de-escalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine.
"We need to shut down this war machine against innocent human beings," said council member Liza Montiel ahead of the vote.
Councilmember Octavio Gradillas Jr. said before the vote the resolution "was not a religious attachment," but had to be done.
"It's terrible that we have to live in a world where this still continues to exist. We need to show that we support everyone in the world with equality and not a war machine," he said.
The resolution was passed by the five council members present during the vote. Council member Saulo Bonilla excused himself from the room during the discussion and subsequent vote.
Nogales followed in the footsteps of the city of South Tucson, the first Arizona city to pass a resolution supporting a ceasefire.
Unlike the two smaller Arizona cities, on Tuesday the Tucson City Council rejected efforts to pass a cease-fire resolution.
Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States, killed about 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7 in an attack launched from Gaza. During the attack, 1,200 people were killed, and 240 more were abducted and taken to Gaza as hostages.
After six months of war, more than 100 have been released, and about 100 are believed to be still alive in captivity. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, as reported by USA TODAY.
Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. The Republic’s coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Nogales City Council approves Gaza cease-fire resolution
