The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Austrian Volker Türk, apparently sees signs that Israel is using hunger in the Gaza Strip as a method of war. This was a war crime, he announced on Tuesday in Geneva (see video above).
A spokesperson for his office said the determination of whether this actually happened would be up to the courts. The United Nations warned on Monday of a famine disaster. About 1.1 million people are in the worst situation in the Gaza Strip.
“The impending famine in Gaza can and must be prevented. The Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has now lasted sixteen years, has had serious consequences for the human rights of the civilian population. The economy there was destroyed, leading to a dependency on aid,” Türk said.
UN High Commissioner: “The clock is ticking!”
“The extent of Israel’s continued restrictions on the import of aid into Gaza and the manner in which further hostilities are taking place could amount to the use of starvation as a war tactic. That would be a war crime. The clock is ticking!”, the Austrian said on Tuesday.
As an occupying power, Israel has a duty to provide the population with food and medical care. “Israel must ensure that its population has access to this aid in a safe and humane manner,” Turk said.
Legal experts: Israel is an occupying power
According to the United Nations and international legal experts, Israel is an occupying power because it controls virtually all access to and supplies to the Gaza Strip. Israel rejects this because it withdrew militarily from the Gaza Strip in 2005.
The offer must be urgently expanded and a ceasefire is inevitable, said Türk, who also called for the release of the hostages kidnapped during the massacre by Palestinian terrorists in Israel on October 7, 2023.
The terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas, the massacres and the kidnapping of hostages to the Gaza Strip sparked the Gaza War.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
