Starvation in Gaza “direct result” of Israel blocking humanitarian aid: UN

The worsening hunger crisis in Gaza is a “direct result of the Israeli government's policy of blocking humanitarian aid,” the United Nations (UN) says.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva Tuesday, Thameen al-Kheetan, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, said the amount of food being allowed into the war-torn region is “far below the amounts that are needed to avoid starvation.”

“The use of starvation as a weapon of war is a war crime,” al-Kheetan added.

Israel has repeatedly denied responsibility for the famine in Gaza, pointing the finger at the Palestinian militant group Hamas and accusing them of stealing aid packages.