A statement signed by Belgian development and solidarity organisations have called for a ban on the sale of arms to Israel and the suspension of the partnership agreement between Tel Aviv and the European Union in the wake of the recent wave of violence in the Palestinian territories.

In a statement released yesterday the groups said Article II of the Arms Trade Treaty allows for the suspension of the agreement in the event of human rights violations.

The organisations expressed concern about the escalating “wave of violence” in the Palestinian territories, especially in Jerusalem, saying the provocation policy practiced by Israeli settlers backed by the army in Al-Aqsa Mosque is the main reason for the wave of violence.

The Belgian organisations described what is happening in Jerusalem as part of the persecution suffered by four million Palestinians in the Palestinian territories due to the Israeli occupation including the war on Gaza in 2014.

They demanded the Belgian government and the European Union take all necessary measures to stop the Israeli occupation and exclude the Israeli settlements from all bilateral relations between Belgium and Israel.

The statement demanded the Belgian government request the Israeli government cancel the administrative detention of Palestinian prisoners and reform its judicial system to allow for a fair trial for Palestinians