By Beyza Binnur Donmez
GENEVA (AA) - The EU has "strongly" condemned recent statements by Israel’s finance minister suggesting it might be “justified” to let civilians in Gaza starve to death.
"Deliberate starvation of civilians is a war crime," the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement late Wednesday.
Bezalel Smotrich “saying that 'it might be justified and moral' to let Israel 'cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger' until the 'hostages are returned' is beyond ignominious," said Borrell, adding: "It demonstrates, once again, his contempt for international law and for basic principles of humanity."
Urging the Israeli government to distance itself from such remarks, Borrell also asked for the establishment of transparency on the reported acts of torture at the Sde Teiman prison.
"The EU continues urging Israel to implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and binding orders of the International Court of Justice, and ensure full and unimpeded humanitarian access to cover the needs of scores of civilians, including hundreds of thousands of children, living in extremely dire conditions and exposed to famine and disease in Gaza," he said.
He reiterated the bloc's call for an immediate cease-fire that leads to the release of all hostages and a significant and sustained increase in the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last October by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 91,000 injured, according to local health authorities.
Over 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.