In an open letter to the States parties to the arms trade treaty, 120 organizations from the United States of America, Europe, Palestine, and other States identified legal consequences that would affect those who export or import weapons to and from Israel as partners in the killing of Palestinian civilians and called for a two-way comprehensive arms embargo against Israel.

The open letter published today called in several languages "We, in the global coalition of leaders from civil society, academia, the arts, the media, business, politics, religion and conscience throughout the world, call upon States parties to the arms trade treaty." (ATT) To act decisively to put an end to Israel's notorious use of weapons and military equipment through which serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights have been committed against Palestinian civilians, calling for a two-way comprehensive arms embargo against Israel.

The letter referred to Israel's crimes this spring when the Israeli occupying forces attacked unarmed Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and inside the occupied Palestine.

While demonstrating peacefully to protest against the colonization of their territory, Palestinian civilians were fired with live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas.

The letter considered the latest aggression as the fourth Israeli military aggression against the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip in a decade.

The message said: Over the course of 11 days, 248 Palestinians, including 66 children, have been killed and thousands injured, and the resounding effects of explosive weapons on hospitals, schools, food security, water, electricity and shelter continue to affect millions.

The letter referred to the systematic brutality committed during the past seven decades of Israeli colonialism, apartheid, illegal war occupation, persecution, and closure, caused solely with the cooperation of some Governments and corporations around the world.