EASTHAMPTON — Urged by dozens of residents for a second time this month to “step up” and move a Gaza cease-fire resolution on to the full City Council for a vote, the council’s Rules Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to do just that.

Following comments from more than a dozen cease-fire supporters, committee members spent some time debating some of the finer points before voting to forward the resolution, as read by committee Chair James “JP” Kwiecinski, to the full council for a vote. Committee member Homar Gomez, who sponsored the resolution along with City Councilor Koni Denham, added that the committee was recommending passage.

The resolution directs the City Council to call for an immediate permanent cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the release of all hostages, an end to unconditional U.S. aid to Israel, and the provision of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. It directs the council to urge the Biden administration and Congress to take the same actions, and to send a copy to U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey.

Sara Weinberger, a member of the group that crafted the resolution, said it was drafted over several weeks by a diverse group of Easthampton residents who “functioned in a very supportive way, listening to all voices and staying unified.” She said the action has the support of at least 350 residents.

“As an American, I have been incensed that my country continues to support death and destruction in Gaza with my tax dollars,” Weinberger wrote in a Gazette recent column, a point that was echoed by many speakers Wednesday.

At last count, according to the resolution, Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has killed 32,490 people, approximately two-thirds of them women and children. On Thursday, the International Court of Justice, the top United Nations court, ordered Israel to take measures including opening more land crossings to allow food, water, fuel and other supplies into Gaza to tackle crippling shortages in the war-ravaged enclave.

Several speakers called on the committee not to modify or change the resolution in any way, as some city councilors had proposed at the last meeting.

“The people of Easthampton need to be represented, not managed or chaperoned,” Ruth Jennison said.

And in answer to the argument that the issue is not the business of Easthampton City Council, Marie Boyer said city residents paid more than $150,000 of the U.S. government’s annual $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel.

“That makes it our business,” she told the committee.

Mordechai Kamel cited the Leahy law, which prohibits the U.S. from giving offensive weapons to any nation that has committed gross human rights violations.

“There are very few human rights violations worse than killing civilians,” he said. “We will not be bystanders.”

Committee members thanked the speakers for participating in the democratic process.

Kwiecinski said it was the job of city council members to “look at all sides,” and suggested that changes might still be made to the resolution. In particular, he took issue with the call for an end to unconditional U.S. aid to the Israeli government.

Gomez responded that there was nothing unusual in setting conditions on financial aid.

“I believe this council should be doing something, saying something, when they see something that is wrong,” he said.

Committee member Jason “JT” Tirrell said he fully supported doing the will of the people.

The City Council is expected to take up the resolution at its next meeting April 3. Some 30 residents advocated for it at the council’s March 20 meeting. If the resolution passes, Easthampton will join municipal governments in Northampton, Amherst and Greenfield, among many others, in calling for a cease-fire.