A coalition representing 22 organisations gathered outside Malta’s Parliament, calling on the government to immediately end trade with Israeli settlements and take further economic and political action over Israel’s conduct in the region.According to the Embassy of Palestine in Malta, activists greeted MPs arriving at Parliament, including Prime Minister Robert Abela, government ministers and members of the Opposition, and presented them with an open letter outlining their demands.The coalition called for a ban on trade involving products from Israeli settlements, which it described as illegal under international law, as well as a full arms embargo and a wider reduction in trade and transfers with Israel.The activists argued that such measures should be used to pressure Israel over its actions in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as its presence in Lebanese territory.Palestinian Ambassador to Malta Fadi Hanania also called on the Maltese government to take further action.While thanking Abela for his public statements on Palestine, Hanania argued these should now be followed by practical measures, pointing to what he described as increasingly aggressive settler violence, Palestinian deaths and the seizure of land in the West Bank.Hanania said he had recently visited Palestine twice and had personally witnessed what he described as a deteriorating situation and an intensification of the occupation.Activists Yana Mintoff, Sammy Meilaq, Moussa Hammoud and Suzanne Mass also argued that Malta should take economic and political measures aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian and Lebanese territories.The organisations referred to human rights provisions within the EU-Israel Association Agreement, as well as measures and an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice.They argued that Malta should ensure its trade, investments, companies and institutions do not contribute to occupation or serious violations of international law, while criticising what they described as insufficient action by Malta so far.Do you think Malta should introduce a ban on trade with Israeli settlements?Photo credits to @embassy_of_palestine_malta•