Israel May Use Starvation as 'Method of War' in Gaza Strip - UN Human Rights Chief

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Israel could use starvation as a "method of war" in the Gaza Strip by obstructing the entry of humanitarian assistance to the enclave, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Tuerk said on Tuesday.

Famine is now imminent in northern Gaza due to ongoing hostilities and limited humanitarian aid, and could occur any time between mid-March and May, according to a report within the UN's Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative published on Monday.

"Israel's now 16-year-old blockade of Gaza has already had a severe impact on human rights for the civilian population, leaving the local economy devastated and creating a dependence on aid. The extent of Israel's continued restrictions on the entry of aid into Gaza, together with the manner in which it continues to conduct hostilities, may amount to the use of starvation as a method of war, which is a war crime," Turk said in a statement.

Tuerk called for the projected imminent famine in the enclave to be prevented.

"The situation of hunger, starvation and famine is a result of Israel's extensive restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid and commercial goods, displacement of most of the population, as well as the destruction of crucial civilian infrastructure," the statement read.

Last October, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 31,800 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.

On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.