GENEVA: The World Health Organization chief on Friday urged Israel to stop the “catastrophe” of people starving to death in Gaza, saying at least 370 people have died from malnutrition since the war began.
“This is a catastrophe that Israel could have prevented, and could stop at any time,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Starvation of civilians as a method of war is a war crime that can never be tolerated: doing so in one conflict risks legitimising its use in future conflicts,” he said.
His comments came two weeks after the UN declared a famine in Gaza, blaming the “systematic obstruction” of humanitarian deliveries by Israel.
The Health Ministry in Gaza reported on Friday that 373 people, including 134 children, had died from starvation and malnutrition in the besieged Palestinian territory since the war there erupted in October 2023.
