MIAMI — City governments across South Florida moved quickly last October to express support for Israel and condemn an unprecedented and brutal attack by Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took another 250 hostage.

In the months since, however, local politicians have largely avoided passing proclamations as Israel’s retaliation became an increasingly divisive issue, with the death toll of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip reaching an estimated 30,000-plus.

On Wednesday, the Doral City Council decided to weigh in on the continuing violence in the Middle East — but very carefully.

The council unanimously passed a resolution, initially proposed by Mayor Christi Fraga, calling for a permanent end to “hostilities” in the region and supporting peace and protection for all civilians in Israel and Palestine.

At the meeting, Councilwoman Maureen Porras called the move the “first ceasefire resolution” coming out of South Florida. But Fraga was more circumspect, explaining that the measure was not a “ceasefire resolution” but meant more as a promotion of “unity.”

Specifically, the resolution acknowledges the suffering and loss of life experienced by everyone impacted by the conflict while calling for “an immediate end to all hostilities in Israel, Gaza, and Occupied Palestinian Territories,” the “release of all hostages,” and promoting “the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.” It also condemns the recent rise of antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks in Florida and across the nation among other measures to promote safety in the Middle East.

In a memo sent ahead of the meeting, Fraga urged the rest of the council to show their support by taking “a stand for peace and justice.” While the resolution is symbolic, it does make a statement, she said.

“As a mother I know the world I want to leave my son,” Fraga said during a brief discussion about the proposal. “This shows that as a community we can come together to recognize human life.”

Zohra Khorashi, an attorney who lives in Doral, said she brought the idea of the resolution to the Doral City Council in an effort to spotlight the rising death toll of Palestinians and humanize their suffering amid a war that she believes has repercussions for the Palestinian and Muslim communities in Miami.

“I just felt compelled as a citizen of Doral to reach out to the mayor and see that just as she is being very mindful and inclusive of the Jewish community, as she should, if there is something that we could do, where we can also make the Muslim community living in the city of Doral feel included,” she said.

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