Greens on Bath and North East Somerset Council have demanded an explanation for why their "peace motion" on a Gaza ceasefire was blocked.

Green councillors had tried to table a cross-party motion expressing the council's support for a ceasefire in Gaza at a council meeting in November, but not enough political groups supported the move. Now an attempt to table it as a Green motion before a council meeting in March has been refused, with the chair of the council warning that it was outside of the council's constitutional rules.

Joanna Wright, leader of the Green group on the council, said: "Several councils in the UK, like Burnley, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bradford, Oxford, Midlothian, Preston, Aberdeen, and Kirklees, haven't just talked about the conflict in Gaza — they've acted by passing motions. B&NES council see it as 'out of order' and 'not relevant.'

"We need an explanation from democratic services and the chair about why something that affects many residents isn't considered relevant. The council should clarify the connection between how something affects residents and its relevance to the council, which is supposed to represent residents.

"The Green group calls for transparency and accountability regarding the council's decision-making process and urges action to address the conflict's humanitarian consequences."

Somerset Council passed a motion calling for a ceasefire in Palestine in December. North Somerset Council passed a similar motion in January after a former councillor who survived the Holocaust as a child urged councillors to send a message that "you stand with those who want the killing to stop and with those who want the hostages released."

There have been frequent protests in Bath calling for a ceasefire, as in many cities in the UK. Bristol-based Palestinian Wael Arafat, 28, was hospitalised in Bath's Royal United Hospital after he went on a hunger strike — which lasted three months — after his sister and her four children were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

But the council's monitoring officer, the legal expert responsible for the council's legal governance and who advises on constitutional issues, warned that the motion did not relate to the council's responsibilities and functions.

Chair of the council, Sarah Moore, said: "We are keenly aware of the wide impacts of the terrible events in Israel and Gaza and currently six local residents have registered to raise their concerns about these impacts on local individuals and communities at the full council meeting on March 14.

"I know council will listen carefully to what they have to say.

"We considered the motion by the Green Party very carefully but, based on advice from our monitoring officer, we were unable to accept it within the scope of our constitutional rules as we have no jurisdiction over government foreign policy.

"The council is dedicated to supporting all our residents by combating racism and discrimination across Bath and North East Somerset. We are also committed to helping refugees under UK resettlement schemes, most recently for people escaping war in Ukraine."

The Green motion would have called on the council to write to the government to call for it to urge a ceasefire and the release of hostages, launch a review of UK arms sales, implement the requirements of the "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" campaign, and support introducing the targeted travel bans and asset freezes on some Israeli cabinet members.

Locally, it would have called on the council to offer support to locals who need assistance because of the conflict, support displaced people, and to fly the UN flag as a symbol of peace until a ceasefire is agreed, among other actions.