An open letter dated July 17, 2014 has been drafted by several global civil society formations and representatives based in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), expressing sympathy with the people of Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian people, condemning the unjustified attacks by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on defenseless civilian communities, and calling on the United Nations and its human rights agencies to take urgent steps to safeguard the Gaza communities and uphold its people’s basic human rights and welfare.