UN: Starvation May Be Used As a “Weapon of War” by Israel
The United Nations issued a warning on Tuesday, stating that hunger may be seen as an act of war by Israel due to its extreme restrictions on assistance entering Gaza and its continued airstrikes.
Volker Turk, the head of UN human rights, bemoaned the widespread starvation and impending catastrophe in Gaza. “Israel’s severe restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid and commercial goods, the displacement of the majority of the population, as well as the destruction of crucial civilian infrastructure, are the causes of the situation of hunger, starvation, and famine,” he said in a statement.
“Starvation as a method of war is a war crime, and the extent of Israel’s ongoing restrictions on the entry of aid into Gaza, along with the manner in which it continues to conduct hostilities, may amount to that.” A court of law will ultimately decide whether or not “starvation is being used as a weapon of war,” his spokesperson, Jeremy Laurence, told reporters in Geneva. “The agony endured by the Gaza population is intolerable,” he said.
The remarks followed the announcement that the war-torn Palestinian region is on the verge of starvation, according to an assessment approved by the UN. A UN-backed food security study warns that over half of Gaza’s population, or 1.1 million people, are suffering from “catastrophic” hunger as a result of the terrible conflict that has ensued since Hamas’s onslaught on Israel on October 7. Famine will strike the 300,000 residents of Gaza’s war-torn north by May if relief isn’t sent quickly, the report said on Monday.
The UN humanitarian organization OCHA’s spokesperson, Jens Laerke, told reporters in Geneva that if nothing is done, “you’re looking at more than 200 people dying from starvation per day.” Additionally, Turk emphasized that “the clock is ticking.” “To end malnutrition and eliminate any danger of famine, everyone, particularly those with power, must press that Israel take action to promote the unhindered entrance and distribution of required humanitarian aid and commercial goods.”
“The warning flags raised over the past few months by the UN, including my office, have not been heeded,” he bemoaned. “This was completely avoidable and is a human-caused disaster.” Based on an AFP assessment of Israeli government estimates, the extraordinary October 7 strike by Hamas that left roughly 1,160 people dead in Israel—mostly civilians—sparked the start of the Gaza war.
About 250 captives were also taken by militants; of these, Israel estimates that 130 are still in Gaza, 33 of whom are thought to be dead. According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel’s ceaseless attack against Hamas in retaliation has killed around 31,800 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children.
