TEL AVIV, May 20, 2025 (WAFA) –  The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz said on Tuesday that what the Israeli occupation army is committing in the Gaza Strip constitutes a collective war crime.

The newspaper said in its editorial: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are not trying to hide the crimes they are already committing or those planned for the near future: destroying Gaza, occupying it, and organizing a mass exodus."

The newspaper added: "For them -Netanyahu and Smotrich-, the humanitarian catastrophe is simply a public diplomacy issue."

It continued: "What Israel is doing in Gaza is not a public diplomacy issue, but a collective war crime. The images coming out of Gaza are an indelible stain on Israel's moral conscience."

It added: "Instead of prolonging this catastrophe, the government must allow the entry of significant humanitarian aid immediately to halt the mass starvation of the Palestinians and end the war through a ceasefire agreement that guarantees the return of all hostages."

The occupation authorities continue their systematic starvation policy against approximately 2.4 million people in the Gaza Strip, closing the crossings to aid supplies since March 2nd. This has plunged the Strip into famine and claimed the lives of many.

In recent days, the occupation army has expanded its annihilation of the Gaza Strip, declaring a ground invasion in the north and south of the Strip.

Since October 7th, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces have launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing 53,486 citizens, the majority of whom are children and women, and wounding 121,398 others. This is a preliminary toll, as a number of victims remain under the rubble and on the streets, unable to be reached by ambulances and rescue teams.

K.T