New Delhi:

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s suggestion that starving millions to death in Gaza was “justified and moral” has sparked global outrage. His comments, made during a speech last week, have been widely condemned by global powers, including the European Union, the United Kingdom and France.

Smotrich remarked that halting aid to the besieged territory could be a means to “free the hostages”.

“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,” the far-right minister said, as quoted by news agency AFP. 

The EU swiftly responded, labelling the deliberate starvation of civilians a “war crime” and demanding the Israeli government distance itself from the minister’s words. They said the remarks showed “contempt for international law and for basic principles of humanity”.

France expressed “deep dismay” and criticised the far-right minister, stating that providing humanitarian aid to Gaza is an “obligation under international humanitarian law” due to Israel’s control over the territory’s access, AFP reported.

Germany strongly denounced the remarks, calling them “completely unacceptable and outrageous”. A spokesman for the Foreign Office in Berlin stated that civilians must be protected in war and have access to essential resources like water and food as it was a “basic principle” mandated by international humanitarian law.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called on the Israeli government to “retract and condemn” the remarks, while in a separate development, the US State Department demanded a full investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against Palestinian detainees by Israeli soldiers. The allegations came to light following the release of a video on Israel’s Channel 12, which appeared to show soldiers leading a detainee out of camera view to commit acts of abuse.

The video has intensified scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of Palestinian detainees, with Israeli authorities launching an investigation into alleged abuse by soldiers. The investigation has already led to the arrest of nine soldiers, which led to protests from right-wing Israelis who stormed two military facilities in response.

Amid growing concerns, Israeli rights group B’Tselem has published a report stating the mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners had become so widespread that it amounted to a policy of “institutionalised abuse.”

In May, International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan announced plans to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The warrants are related to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza. The devastating conflict, now nearing 10 months, has left vast areas of Gaza in ruins. A crippling blockade has severely limited access to essential resources like food, clean water, and medicine. 

Israel’s war in Gaza has created a dire humanitarian crisis, displacing almost all 2.4 million residents, killing nearly 40,000 and injuring almost 1 lakh Palestinians. Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered an immediate halt to military operations in Rafah. The southern city had provided refuge for over 1 million Palestinians before being invaded and bombed in May.