UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food: Israel’s starvation weapon in Gaza is ‘genocide’

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Michael Fakhri on Thursday called Israel’s systematic starvation campaign against Palestinians in Gaza a “genocide.”

“Now we are in a situation where Israel is starving them as a campaign. They announced their starvation campaign, they implemented it and now we are seeing the effects,” Fakhri said at an online discussion organized by the Berlin-based Heinrich Boell Foundation which is linked to the co-ruling Green party.

“What we are dealing here now in terms of starvation in the context of a genocide … is something that the international community is obliged to address. Starvation is a violation of international law at its core. We can realistically say genocide is unfolding,” he added.

Fakhri accused the US and Germany of being “complicit in the genocide and starvation” of Gazans as they were the two largest military supporters of Israel.

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.​​​​​​​

The Jewish state is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling ordered Tel Aviv in January to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.​​​​​​​