Starvation must not be used as a weapon in Gaza: S. Africa

South Africa on Wednesday denounced Israel's restriction of aid into warravaged Gaza since the weekend, saying it amounted to using starvation as a weapon of war.

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A fragile ceasefire since January saw an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, before Israel on Sunday announced it was blocking deliveries until Hamas accepted its terms for an extension of the truce.

“Preventing food from entering Gaza is a continuation of Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war as part of the ongoing campaign of what the ICJ ruled to be plausible genocide against the Palestinian people,” the South African foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to Pretoria’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

“The people of Gaza are experiencing immeasurable suffering and urgently need food, shelter and medical supplies,” it added.

“South Africa calls on the international community to hold Israel accountable,” it said.

While Israel has said it wants to extend the first phase of the ceasefire until mid-April, Hamas - which sparked the war in Gaza with its October 2023 attack on Israel - has insisted on a transition to the deal’s second phase, which should lead to a permanent end to the war.

South Africa in December 2023 brought a case before the ICJ, arguing that the war in Gaza breached the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, an accusation Israel has strongly denied.