UN’s top aid chief accuses Israel of war crimes over Gaza starvation
'We’re seeing food set on the borders and not being allowed in when there is a population on the other side of the border that is starving,' says Tom Fletcher
LONDON
The UN’s humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher on Friday accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza, saying such actions amount to a war crime under international law.
“We’re seeing food set on the borders and not being allowed in when there is a population on the other side of the border that is starving, and we’re hearing Israeli ministers say that is to put pressure on the population of Gaza,” he told the BBC.
When asked directly whether his assessment constituted an allegation of a war crime, he replied: “Yeah, it is. It is classified as a war crime. Obviously, these are issues for the courts to take the judgment on, and ultimately for history to take a judgment on.”
His remarks come as international criticism mounts against Israel's near-total blockade of Gaza, which has halted deliveries of food, medicine, fuel, and shelter for nearly three months. Although Israel partially lifted the blockade last week, aid organizations say the current flow of supplies is far from sufficient to address the humanitarian crisis.
Israel has said the blockade and military pressure are designed to force Hamas to release 58 hostages still being held in Gaza.
Calls to stop a genocide
Fletcher also called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to disavow recent comments by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whose remarks about “despairing” Palestinians “looking for relocation” have raised fears of ethnic cleansing.
He urged Netanyahu to ensure that “this language, and ultimately, this policy... of forced displacement, isn’t enacted.”
He reiterated his call for diplomacy to end the conflict and urged Hamas to release the remaining hostages. “Mediation and negotiation” are the only way forward, he said.
Earlier this month, Fletcher urged the UN Security Council to act to prevent genocide in Gaza.
“What they’re reporting is forced displacement. They’re reporting starvation, they’re reporting torture, and they’re reporting deaths on a massive scale,” he said. “And that’s my call to the Security Council and the world right now, ‘Will you act to prevent genocide?’”
International criticism intensifies
Amid the dire humanitarian situation, international criticism of Israel has continued to grow.
Earlier in May, the leaders of the UK, France, and Canada issued a joint statement calling on Israel to “stop its military operations” and “immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.”
This week, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: “Israeli strikes in Gaza go beyond what is necessary to fight Hamas.”
Her comments followed those of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said he “no longer understands” Israel’s objectives.
The Israeli army has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 54,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
