Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa declared the Gaza Strip a “famine zone” on Wednesday, while UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk considered the use of starvation as a weapon against civilians in Gaza a war crime.
At a press conference in Ramallah, in the central West Bank, he declared Gaza a famine zone and called on all UN member states to take urgent action in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law and recognize the catastrophe and famine.
The Palestinian Prime Minister also demanded the implementation of UN resolutions prohibiting the use of starvation as a weapon of war, calling on the entire UN system to immediately activate its mechanisms and treat Gaza as a famine zone.
