Deaths from starvation in Gaza may amount to war crime, UN rights chief says

The U.N. human rights chief on Friday said that the emergence of famine in northern Gaza is the "direct result of actions taken by the Israeli government" and said that deaths from starvation might amount to a war crime.

"The famine declared today in Gaza Governorate by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is the direct result of actions taken by the Israeli government," Volker Turk said in a statement to reporters, referring to a report by a global hunger monitor.

"It is a war crime to use starvation as a method of warfare, and the resulting deaths may also amount to the war crime of willful killing," he added.

COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, accused Hamas of a "false starvation campaign" and said the U.N. and others were spreading unfounded claims about hunger in Gaza. 

Reuters