UNITED NATIONS, Aug 09 : The UN human rights chief strongly condemned recent statements by Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich suggesting letting Palestinian in war-ravaged Gaza starve to death, his spokesperson said Friday.
“The high commissioner (Volker Turk) is shocked and appalled by the words of (Israeli) minister, according to whom, letting two million Palestinians in Gaza starve to death could be justified and moral in order to free hostages,” Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence told a UN briefing in Geneva.
“He condemns these words in the strongest terms, which also incite hatred against innocent civilians,” Laurence said, noting that the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime.
“The collective punishment of the Palestinian population is also a war crime,” he said and warned: “This direct and public statement risks inciting other atrocity crimes.”
“This direct and public statement risks inciting other atrocity crimes,” he said. “Such statements, especially by public officials, must cease immediately. They must be investigated and if found to amount to a crime, must be prosecuted and punished.”
Laurence also reiterated UN human rights office, OHCHR’s long-standing appeal for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and increased humanitarian aid flows into the enclave.
“This is an immediate call to the Israeli authorities that it is their responsibility to monitor this behaviour,” he said. “Beyond that, let’s take it one step at a time. That is the first stage. It is the Israelis’ responsibility.”
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