Israel denied obstructing entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza Strip but UN human rights office says manner it has conducted hostilities could be war crime

Israel’s diplomatic mission in Geneva has responded to earlier comments by the spokesperson for UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Türk.

Jeremy Laurence had said “The extent of Israel’s continued restrictions on entry of aid into Gaza, together with the manner in which it continues to conduct hostilities, may amount to the use of starvation as a method of war, which is a war crime.”

In response, Reuters reports that the diplomatic mission said “Israel is doing everything it can to flood Gaza with aid, including by land, air, and sea. The UN must also step up.”

Israel insists on inspecting all aid delivered to the Gaza Strip. On Monday, Oxfam accused it of controlling an “unpredictable and chaotic regime of approval, scanning and inspection” of humanitarian aid. A coalition of aid groups warned yesterday that famine is imminent in northern Gaza with people suffering “catastrophic levels of hunger”.