In a letter addressed to the two UN bodies and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which was obtained late Monday, these countries, led by Turkey, accuse the Israeli enemy of continuously violating international laws in Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian territories as well as in Lebanon and the rest of the Middle East countries.
The letter stated: “The staggering toll of civilian casualties, most of whom are children and women, due to the ongoing violations of international law by (Israel), the occupying power, for more than a year now, is intolerable and unacceptable.”
The letter added: “We must act urgently to stop the severe humanitarian suffering and regional instability that threatens to erupt into a full-scale war in the region.”
The letter calls on the Security Council to “declare an immediate ceasefire to avert this catastrophe” and take measures to implement previous resolutions to protect civilians, ensure accountability, and issue “a clear demand to stop the transfer of weapons to (Israel).”
Turkish diplomatic sources reported earlier that Ankara had launched an initiative within the United Nations to stop the sale of weapons and ammunition to “Israel.”
The initiative was signed by 52 countries, the League of Arab States, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The countries that signed the initiative include Turkey, Russia, Iran, China, Lebanon, Jordan, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Djibouti, Yemen, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Brunei, Indonesia, Morocco, Gambia, South Africa, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, the Union of the Comoros, Cuba, the Maldives, Malaysia, Mexico, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Saint Vincent, the Grenadines, Sao Tome , Principe, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Chile, Tunisia, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.
Who are Israel’s primary arms providers?
According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Israel ranked 15th among world’s largest arms importers between 2019 and 2023, which marks a dramatic increase when compared to the period extending from 2009 to 2013, during which it ranked 47th.
SIPRI indicated that 69% of Israel’s arms imports between 2019 and 2023 were from the United States. These imports included aircrafts, missiles, armored vehicles, missiles and vessels. Meanwhile, the year 2024 marked the US supply of additional F-35 and F-15 fighter jets to Israel.
Germany contributed to 30% of the imports of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) between 2019 and 2023, while Italy accounted for 0.9% of Israel’s imports of major arms during the same period.