Sixteen international humanitarian and rights organisations have called for a halt to weapons transfers to Israel and Palestinian armed groups in a bid to end the Gaza conflict, AFP reports.

In a joint statement, they urged United Nations member states to stop sending weapons, parts and ammunition to “stop the crisis in Gaza and avert further humanitarian catastrophe and loss of civilian life”.

“Israel’s bombardment and siege are depriving the civilian population of the basics to survive and rendering Gaza uninhabitable,” the statement added.

“The civilian population in Gaza faces a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented severity and scale.”

Following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel “armed groups in Gaza have continued to indiscriminately fire rockets toward population centres in Israel”, the statement added.