Israel is weaponising starvation, infectious diseases in Gaza

Türkiye has accused Israel of employing starvation and infectious diseases as weapons against Palestinians in Gaza, urging the international community to take immediate action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis.

In a statement on Monday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry criticised Israel's intensified strikes on civilian targets, including schools and refugee camps, which have killed hundreds of Palestinians in recent days.

"Likewise, Israel's use of starvation and infectious diseases as a weapon against the Palestinian people by preventing the provision of basic humanitarian needs in Gaza should not escape the attention of the international community," it added.

Reaffirming Ankara’s commitment to regional peace, security, and stability, the ministry called for immediate measures to address the crisis.

"The recent developments in our region should not lead the international community to ignore the genocide committed by Israel in Gaza," the ministry stressed, reiterating Ankara's calls for an immediate ceasefire and uninterrupted humanitarian access.

"We will continue to defend the rights of the Palestinian people, international law and human dignity," it added, calling for the international community to amp up pressure on Israel.

Crimes against humanity

Since October 5, Israel has launched a large-scale ground operation in northern Gaza to allegedly prevent Palestinian resistance group Hamas from regrouping. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.

Since then, no sufficient humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, or fuel, has been allowed into the area, leaving the remaining population on the verge of imminent famine.

The onslaught was the latest episode in a brutal Israeli war on besieged Gaza that has killed more than 45,000 people, mostly women and children, since October 7, 2023.

On November 21 this year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.

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