UN Human Rights Chief Condemns Israeli Minister’s Gaza Starvation Remarks
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has strongly condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for his controversial remarks suggesting that starving Palestinians in Gaza was a justified measure.
Smotrich, a far-right politician, reportedly defended the blockade of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip as a means to pressure for the release of hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attacks, according to Israeli media.
The minister’s comments have sparked widespread outrage across Europe, drawing sharp criticism from Germany, France, and the European Union.
Türk denounced Smotrich’s statements as incitements to hatred against innocent civilians. He emphasized that starving people or imposing collective punishment are war crimes under international law.
“Such rhetoric, especially from public officials, is dangerous and must cease immediately,” Türk said. He called for an investigation into the comments, urging that if they are found to be criminal, those responsible should face prosecution and punishment.
Türk also renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza conflict and the release of all remaining hostages being held in the region.
[…] as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Defence Chiefs, made this appeal during a visit to the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Abuja on Friday, alongside his West African […]