New Delhi, Oct 19 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday condemned the killings of thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza as he called for bringing an end to the cycle of violence between Israel and Palestine. In a post on X, he said: "The killing of thousands of innocent civilians, including children in Gaza and the collective punishment of millions of people by cutting off their food, water and electricity are crimes against humanity". Condemning the terror attack by Hamas on Israel, the Congress leader said: "Hamas' killing of innocent Israelis and taking of hostages is a crime and must also be condemned. 'The cycle of violence between Israel and Palestine must be brought to an end," he added. His remarks came as the death toll in the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict neared 5,000, with thousands of others injured and displaced as a result of the violence which continued for the 13th day on Thursday. /IANS