Fierce urgency for peace, dialogue in West Asia: Congress

New Delhi: With tensions escalating in West Asia, the Congress on Wednesday said there is "fierce urgency" for peace and dialogue in the region engulfed by a deepening cycle of violence.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the world's conscience needs to be reawakened by the forces of reconciliation amid escalating hostilities in West Asia.

"Thanks to an initiative taken by the Congress-led UPA Government, since 2007 the United Nations observes October 2nd as the International Day of Non-Violence," he said in a post on X.

"The Indian National Congress recalls this in the midst of an alarming escalation of remorseless hostilities in West Asia. This is imposing an unacceptable humanitarian price on thousands upon thousands of innocent men, women and children. There is a fierce urgency for peace and dialogue in the region that is now engulfed by a deepening cycle of violence and counter-violence," he said.

"The world's conscience seems to have been dulled by the forces of revenge. It needs to be reawakened by the forces of reconciliation," Ramesh said.

Tensions have escalated in West Asia after Iran fired around 200 missiles into Israel in response to Israel's killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and other commanders of the militant outfit.