Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, on Monday accused Turkey of “malice” after Ankara submitted a letter to the UN, signed by 52 countries, calling for a halt in arms supplies to Israel over the ongoing Gaza conflict.

Danon criticized Turkey’s actions, claiming they were driven by malice and aimed at stoking conflict with the support of what he referred to as the “Axis of Evil” countries, a term he used to describe the Arab nations that had signed the letter.

On Sunday, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry announced it had submitted the letter to the UN, with backing from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The letter comes amid widespread international condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, where at least 43,374 people have been killed, the majority of them civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry figures, which the UN deems credible.

The conflict was ignited by Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, which left 1,206 Israelis dead, most of them civilians, according to official Israeli figures.

Danon responded to the letter, stating it was further evidence that the UN was being influenced by “sinister countries” rather than those that uphold justice and moral values.

The letter, which was seen by AFP, condemned the “staggering” civilian death toll as “unconscionable and intolerable.” It called for immediate action to stop the supply of arms to Israel, specifically in cases where there are reasonable grounds to believe those arms could be used in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It also urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to ensure compliance with its resolutions, which the letter claims are being violated.

The UNSC had called for a ceasefire in Gaza back in March, but its ability to act has been hampered by the veto power held by Israel’s key ally, the United States.

When asked about the letter on Monday, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he had not yet seen it