Israeli children take cover from rocket fire under their desks in a classroom.

A group comprised of Nobel peace prize laureates, artists and activists has issued a call for  a “comprehensive military embargo against Israel.”

The 52 signatories include the Nobel peace laureates Mairead Maguire and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel as well as film directors Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, the US academic Noam Chomsky and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd.

“Horrified at the latest round of Israeli aggression against the 1.5 million Palestinians in the besieged and occupied Gaza Strip and conscious of the impunity that has enabled this new chapter in Israel’s decades-old violations of international law and Palestinian rights, we believe there is an urgent need for international action towards a mandatory, comprehensive military embargo against Israel,” the letter says.

“Such a measure has been subject to several UN resolutions and is similar to the arms embargo imposed against apartheid South Africa in the past.”

The letter also criticizes those countries which have offered support to Israel.

“While the United States has been the largest sponsor of Israel, supplying billions of dollars of advanced military hardware every year, the role of the European Union must not go unnoticed, in particular its hefty subsidies to Israel’s military complex through its research programmes.”