GAZA, (PIC)
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), stated that Israel’s use of food and humanitarian aid as a weapon in its war on Gaza constitutes a clear war crime that must not be ignored.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Lazzarini stressed that what has been unfolding in Gaza over the past nineteen months, and particularly in recent weeks, is the deliberate use of food and humanitarian supplies to achieve political or military objectives against civilians.
He underlined that such actions amount to a war crime, saying:
“The international court will make its judgment, but what we are witnessing on the ground confirms this inhumane use of deprivation.”
Lazzarini described the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza as reaching indescribable levels, adding: “I cannot find the words to fully capture the misery and tragedy people are enduring. Hunger is spreading. People are exhausted, starving. If the situation continues without urgent intervention, people may not die from the bombing—but from hunger.”
He referred to international reports, including the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, which confirm that Gaza is on the brink of famine. The entire population of more than two million people—roughly half of them children—are facing severe food insecurity, starving due to the ongoing Israeli blockade.
Lazzarini called on the international community to act immediately to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, warning that continued blockade will lead to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
