Hamas has accused Israel of openly using starvation as a weapon of war, a day after Israel’s defence minister pledged to maintain a blockade on aid entering Gaza.
Aid deliveries into the Palestinian territory have been halted since March 2, weeks before Israel broke a temporary ceasefire by restarting aerial bombardment on March 18 and later relaunched its ground assault.
Speaking on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the blockade as a “main pressure lever” against Hamas, saying there were no plans to ease restrictions – despite UN warnings that malnutrition is rapidly worsening in Gaza.
In response, Hamas condemned Katz’s remarks as “a public admission of committing a war crime”.
Israel is “depriving innocent civilians of basic necessities of life, including food, medicine, water and fuel, for the seventh consecutive week”, the group said in a statement posted to Telegram on Thursday.
“We renew our calls for the international community to take action to stop the starvation and blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip,” it added.
In March 2024, the United Nations’ International Court of Justice ruled Israel must ensure the delivery of essential aid – including food, water, fuel and medical supplies – into Gaza. Israel has repeatedly defied the binding order, claiming that Hamas misuses aid.
