A group of Palestinian women organizations are reaching out to the United Nations (UN) and French President Nicolas Sarkozy in an effort to end the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip.

The General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) sent letters to Mr Sarkozy and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urging them to hold Israel accountable under the tenets of international law and punish them for “war crimes.” The groups expressed awe that the international community has watched silently as Gaza has been blockaded and now bombarded, “reinforcing our worst fears that the UN is becoming yet another tool in the awesome machinery of power politics.”

“Occupation must be recognized as a flagrant violation of international law and must come to an end with no preconditions from the occupiers,” the letter to the UN read. “This should be a first step towards achieving peace in the region.”

The Women’s Affairs Technical Committee (WATC) a partner of The Advocacy Project, is part of the GUPW, and umbrella group for women’s organizations in Palestine.

The UN Security Council joined global calls for an immediate ceasefire with a resolution January 8, but the United States did not vote for the resolution and the bloodshed continues.