Over a hundred organizations and human rights defenders are urging governments worldwide to take immediate and concrete actions—political, economic, trade, investment, and diplomatic—to end the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and ensure accountability for the violations and crimes committed against the Palestinian people. We demand an immediate arms embargo and sanctions on Israel to end the illegal occupation of Palestine!

ESCR-Net, a global network dedicated to advancing economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights, has coordinated this call to action. The Network strongly condemns the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, a tragic outcome of decades of unchecked violence and systemic injustice driven by Israel’s occupation and apartheid policies.

The recent Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) reaffirms what has long been recognized by the international community: the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal under international law and has impeded the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. This conclusion is consistent with decades of findings from international bodies, yet the oppression and systemic violence against the Palestinian people continues unabated.

The international community, particularly States, bears a legal and moral responsibility to act decisively. It is time for all states to meet their obligations under international law and end the complicity that enables this ongoing violation of Palestinian rights.

While the situation in Palestine is uniquely tragic, it must be understood as part of a broader global pattern of injustice. The current circumstances in Palestine are a microcosm of the profound inequities and violations of human rights that persist across the world, particularly in the Global South. These injustices are the enduring legacy of colonialism and imperialism, manifesting in occupation, systemic oppression, and economic exploitation. Whether in Palestine, the Americas, Africa, or Asia, the struggle for justice is interconnected. The Palestinian people’s pursuit of freedom is, therefore, a pursuit of justice for all oppressed peoples.

In this spirit, the undersigned members of ESCR-Net call upon States, international organizations, and civil society actors to intensify their efforts to uphold human rights, promote accountability, and dismantle systems of imperialism and colonialism that continue to obstruct global justice. Together, they can forge a path toward a future where the rights of the Palestinian people—and all people—are respected and upheld, ensuring peace, security, and dignity for generations to come.

ESCR-Net calls on all States and associated actors to:

1. Impose a comprehensive three-way military embargo on Israel, including the cessation of all arms transfers, security and surveillance equipment, jet fuel, training, joint exercises, and the transfer of parts, components, and dual-use items. States must suspend all military cooperation with Israel, including joint military and dual-use research and military-industry partnerships.
2. Impose targeted sanctions, including the suspension of diplomatic relations with Israel, financial sanctions, and the suspension of trade and cooperation agreements until Israel ends its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), its settlement enterprise, annexation, persecution, racial segregation, and apartheid against the Palestinian people.
3. Impose sanctions on complicit actors, including Israeli and international corporations and institutions involved in Israel’s breaches of international law and international crimes.

The struggle for Palestinian liberation is integral to the global fight for human rights, equity, and dignity. We stand with the Palestinian people in their legitimate demand for self-determination and the dismantling of the structures of apartheid and settler-colonialism. In the fight for Palestinian justice, we see a broader vision for a just world for all.

This moment calls for unwavering moral clarity and collective resolve from the international community. The enforcement of international law must be immediate and uncompromising. Only through united action can the cycles of violence and injustice that plague Palestine and other parts of the world be brought to an end.

The undersigned members of ESCR-Net reaffirm their shared commitment to justice, equality, and human dignity. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice, and an end to occupation, apartheid, and settler-colonial violence.

For Media Inquiries

To arrange interviews with our Palestinian members Al-Haq, Al-Mezan and other media inquiries, please contact our Communications Coordinator, Angélica Cuevas-Guarnizo, at acuevas@escr-net.org.

Endorsers

The full statement is endorsed by the following organizations and individuals.

Organizations:

1. A 11 – Initiative for Economic and Social Rights (Serbia)
2. Abahlali baseMjondolo (South Africa)
3. Accountability Counsel (United States)
4. All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) (Malaysia)
5. ALTSEAN-Burma (Thailand)
6. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights (Palestine)
7. Amigos de la Tierra México (Mexico)
8. Anti-Jindal & Anti-POSCO Movement (JPPSS) (India)
9. Arab NGOs Network for Development (ANND) (Arab region)
10. Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (Thailand)
11. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) (Asia and the Pacific)
12. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) (Thailand)
13. Association for Women’s Rights in Development (Global)
14. Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates (Tunisia)
15. Avocats Sans Frontières (Belgium)
16. Bisan Center for Research and Development (Palestine)
17. Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) (United States)
18. Centre for Human Rights and Development (Mongolia)
19. Centre for Peace Studies (Croatia)
20. Comité Ambiental en Defensa de la Vida (Colombia)
21. Common Defense (United States)
22. Conselho de Pueblos Wuxhtaj (Guatemala)
23. COPINH (Honduras)
24. CREDDHO (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
25. Dibeen for Environmental Development (Jordan)
26. Economic Justice for Women Project (EJWP) (Zimbabwe)
27. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) (Egypt)
28. Endorois Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (EIWEN) (Kenya)
29. Endorois Welfare Council (EWC) (Kenya)
30. European Roma Rights Centre (Belgium)
31. FIAN International (United States)
32. Foro Ciudadano de Participación por la Justicia y los Derechos Humano (FOCO) (Argentina)
33. Franciscans International (Switzerland)
34. Fundacion Etnica Integral (Dominican Republic)
35. Habitat International Coalition (Global)
36. Hakijamii-ESRC (Kenya)
37. HIC (Argentina)
38. Housing and Land Rights Network – Habitat International Coalition (Egypt)
39. Human Rights Awareness Center (Nepal)
40. IM-Defensoras (Mesoamerica)
41. Inclusive Development International (Global)
42. Indigenous Peoples Rights International (Philippines)
43. Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (United States)
44. International Centre for Ethnic Studies (Sri Lanka)
45. International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW AP) (Malaysia)
46. Justiça nos Trilhos (Brazil)
47. Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice (United States)
48. KARAPATAN (Philippines)
49. Kenya Human Rights Commission (Kenya)
50. Legal Resources Centre (South Africa)
51. Manushya Foundation (Laos & Thailand)
52. MENA Fem Movement for Economic, Development, and Ecological Justice (MENA Region)
53. MINBYUN – Lawyers for a Democratic Society (South Korea)
54. Movimiento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra – MST (Brazil)
55. Movimiento Nacional Cimarrón Colombiano (Colombia)
56. MUFRAS-32 (El Salvador)
57. Muungano wa Wanavijiji (Kenya)
58. Observatori DESCA (ESCER Observatory) (Spain)
59. Observatorio Ciudadano (Chile)
60. PAH (Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca) (Spain)
61. Participation and the Practice of Rights (United Kingdom and Ireland)
62. Peace Track Initiative (Yemen)
63. Phenix Center (Jordan)
64. Prakash Mani Sharma Academy for Public Interest Law (Nepal)
65. Red Chimpu Warmi (Bolivia)
66. Redes del Agua (Mexico)
67. Samata (India)
68. SINACTRAHO (Mexico)
69. SNAPAP CGATA (Algeria)
70. Social Rights Advocacy Centre (Canada)
71. Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) (South Africa)
72. SOMO (Netherlands)
73. Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights (Jordan)
74. The Centre for Human Rights (University of Pretoria) (South Africa)
75. The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (Egypt)
76. The Legal Resources Centre (South Africa)
77. The Syrian Legal Development Programme (United Kingdom/Syria)
78. The World Forum of Fisher Peoples (Global)
79. WITNESS (United States)
80. Women’s Legal Centre (South Africa)
81. Zimbabwe People’s Land Rights Movement (Zimbabwe)

Individuals:

1. Ahmed Elseidi – Ahmed Elseidi Law Firm (Egypt)
2. Amanda Louis – All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) (Malaysia)
3. Claudio Schuftan – WPHNA, PHM (Vietnam)
4. Corneille Semakuba – CREDDHO (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
5. Fredrick Odhiambo – Hakijamii-ESRC (Kenya)
6. Ho Yock Lin – Individual (Malaysia)
7. Juana B. Wenster – RDI (Nicaragua)
8. Kristina Fried – Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (United States)
9. Lara Dominguez – Lawyer (United Kingdom)
10. Maha Abdallah – Board Member, ESCR-Net (Global)
11. Murielle Mignot – Individual (France)
12. Renato Paulino Lanfranchi – Justiça nos Trilhos (Brazil)
13. Sanam Amin – None – Individual Member (Bangladesh)
14. Thato Masiangoako – Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) (South Africa)
15. Xochitl Quezada – Independiente (Ciudad de México)
16. Ahmad Awad – Phenix Center (Jordan)
17. Alreem K. – The Syrian Legal Development Programme (United Kingdom/Syria)
18. Bidya Shrestha Maharjan – Human Rights Awareness Center (Nepal)
19. Bruce Porter – Social Rights Advocacy Centre (Canada)
20. Camilo Bermudez – COPINH (Honduras)
21. Charon Hribar – Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice (United States)
22. Charlene May – Women’s Legal Centre (South Africa)
23. Christiana Louwa – The World Forum of Fisher Peoples (Kenya)
24. Debbie Stothard – ALTSEAN-Burma (Thailand)
25. Emmanuel UMPULA – AFREWATCH (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
26. Ezekiel Rema – Muungano wa Wanavijiji Federation (Kenya)
27. Fancy Kiprotich – Endorois Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (Kenya)
28. Faleh Hammoudi – SNAPAP CGATA (Algeria)
29. Gustavo Castro – Amigos de la Tierra México (Mexico)
30. Hala Murad – Dibeen for Environmental Development (Jordan)
31. Hossam Bahgat – Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) (Egypt)
32. Irene Escorihuela – Observatori DESCA (ESCER Observatory) (Spain)
33. Jonathan Lee – European Roma Rights Centre (Belgium)
34. Joseph Wilde – SOMO (Netherlands)
35. Linda Alkalash – Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights (Jordan)
36. Malek Adly – Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (Egypt)
37. Mandkhaitsetsen Urantulkhuur – Centre for Human Rights and Development (Mongolia)
38. Manar Zaiter – Arab NGOs Network for Development (Arab region)
39. Mario Gomez – International Centre for Ethnic Studies (Sri Lanka)
40. Mary Kambo – Kenya Human Rights Commission (Kenya)
41. Mounir Hassine – Forum Tunisien Pour Les Droits Economiques Et Sociaux (Tunisia)
42. Najwa Bakkar – Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates (Tunisia)
43. Nathalie Seguin – Redes del Agua (Mexico)
44. Prasant Paikary – Anti-Jindal & Anti-POSCO Movement (JPPSS) (India)
45. Raja Althaibani – WITNESS (United States)
46. Rasha Jarhum – Peace Track Initiative (Yemen)
47. Ravi Rebbapragada – Samata (India)
48. Ruth Helen Paniagua de los Santos – Fundacion Etnica Integral (Dominican Republic)
49. Rupa Basnet – Prakash Mani Sharma Academy for Public Interest Law (Nepal)
50. Shanti Uprety – International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW AP) (Malaysia)
51. Sherylle Dass – The Legal Resources Centre (South Africa)
52. Tahanie Abbas – Nora Organization for Combating Violence Against Women and Girls (Sudan)
53. Urantsooj Gombosuren – Centre for Human Rights and Development (Mongolia)
54. Yolande Hendler – Habitat International Coalition (Global)
55. Zenayda Serrano – MUFRAS-32 (El Salvador)