The Elders — a group founded by South Africa’s Nelson Mandela in 2007 — has said that all states providing arms to Israel must suspend arms transfers in response to “systematic violations” of international humanitarian law in Gaza and across the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera reports.

Members of The Elders have included global leaders such as Ban Ki-moon, Kofi Annan and Desmond Tutu, working for peace and human rights.

“Israel’s obstruction of humanitarian assistance into Gaza is unlawful and is causing unprecedented levels of catastrophic hunger, with famine in northern Gaza now imminent,” the group said in a statement.

It added that the US, as Israel’s closest ally and its biggest arms provider, should be leading the way.

“We are deeply concerned that the Biden administration continues to approve arms transfers, appearing to accept Israel’s assurances on compliance with its legal obligations as credible, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary,” read the statement from The Elders.