NEW YORK, May 13, 2025 (WAFA) – The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, stated that Israel is using food and humanitarian aid as a weapon of war in the Gaza Strip, describing it as a "war crime."

In a statement published Tuesday on the agency’s official website, Lazzarini said he has no doubt that what has been witnessed over the past 19 months, particularly in the last two months, is the deliberate use of food and humanitarian aid to achieve political or military objectives in Gaza.

He stated that such actions constitute a war crime, emphasizing that although the final judgment rests with international courts, the reality on the ground clearly demonstrates the inhumane use of food and humanitarian aid.

Lazzarini stressed that the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza has reached indescribable levels, saying he lacked the words to adequately convey the misery and tragedy the people in Gaza are enduring.

He noted that more than two months have passed without any humanitarian aid, stating that hunger is spreading and people are exhausted and starving. If the situation continues, he warned, civilians may not die from bombings, but from starvation.

He said that international reports, including the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), confirm that Gaza is on the verge of famine. He explained that the entire population of the Gaza Strip, over two million people, nearly half of whom are children, are experiencing severe food insecurity and are struggling with hunger due to the Israeli-imposed blockade.

Lazzarini called on the international community to act immediately to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning that the continued siege is leading toward an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.

T.R.