'It is a war crime to use starvation as a method of warfare, and the resulting deaths may also amount to the war crime of willful killing,' Turk says
The UN human rights chief on Friday said Israel's restrictions and military actions have directly caused the famine now declared in Gaza Governorate, warning that using starvation as a weapon of war is a war crime.
"The famine declared today in Gaza Governorate by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is the direct result of actions taken by the Israeli Government. It has unlawfully restricted the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance and other goods necessary for the survival of the civilian population in the Gaza strip," Volker Turk said in a statement.
"We have already seen deaths from starvation and malnutrition across the strip. The Israeli military has destroyed critical civilian infrastructure and almost all agricultural land, banned fishing, and forcibly displaced the population – all drivers of this famine," he added.
Turk underscored the legal consequences for Israel, saying: "It is a war crime to use starvation as a method of warfare, and the resulting deaths may also amount to the war crime of willful killing.”
Calling for urgent measures, the UN rights chief insisted that Israeli authorities must take immediate steps to end the famine in the Gaza Governorate and prevent further loss of life across the Gaza Strip.
"They must ensure immediate entry of humanitarian assistance in sufficient amounts, and full access to UN and other humanitarian organisations," he underlined.
The declaration of famine in Gaza Governorate, one of the five regions of Gaza Strip, was made earlier Friday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
The global hunger monitor projected that famine will spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates within weeks.
