Confirming a Criminal Policy, Daily Brief August 8, 2024

Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has said that starving people in Gaza might be “justified and moral.”

No, and no.

The laws of war are clear here. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court says that intentionally starving civilians by “depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supplies” is a war crime.

Smotrich’s comments this week have sparked international condemnation – rightly so – but it’s hardly the first time an Israeli government official has said such things. Similar statements have come from other top-ranking leaders since the beginning of Israel’s assault on Gaza after the October 7 attacks.

Early on, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Energy Minister Israel Katz all made public statements expressing their aim to deprive civilians in Gaza of food, water, fuel, and electricity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as early as October 19 said Israel would not allow humanitarian assistance “in the form of food and medicines” into Gaza through its crossings “as long as our hostages are not returned.”

So, when Finance Minister Smotrich said this week that “no one in the world will allow us to starve two million people, even though it might be justified and moral in order to free the hostages,” it was hardly a surprise. In fact, it was more a like a reminder of the government’s ongoing policy.

We’ve discussed here before the Israeli government’s use of starvation as a weapon of war and collective punishment in Gaza since October. We’ve highlighted the legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice, requiring Israel to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance. We’ve also looked at Israeli military strikes on aid workers.

Throughout, we have emphasized again and again the fallacy of Israel’s attempt to justify mass starvation as a legitimate response to the Hamas-led attacks on October 7. Yes, taking civilians hostage is a war crime (as are other atrocities committed in those attacks), but so is deliberately starving civilians. Two wrongs do not make a right.

The devastating impact of Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza continues. In its latest briefing on Monday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports acute malnutrition cases among children in northern Gaza have increased by more than 300 per cent from May to July.

No one needed Smotrich’s reminder. Everyone knows Israel’s policy. And the humanitarian catastrophe it’s causing is clear.

The only question is: when will Israel’s allies apply serious pressure on the Israeli government to end this policy?