UN Torture Expert Urges ’Israel’ to End ‘Lethal’ Starvation of Gaza Civilians

By Staff, Agencies

A United Nations expert on torture has called on "Israel" to halt what she described as the “lethal, inhumane, and degrading” starvation of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

“Depriving people of food, water, and dignity has been a serious and recurring violation throughout this war, and it must end,” said Dr. Alice Jill Edwards, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, in a statement on Wednesday.

Dr. Edwards, an Australian legal scholar and adjunct professor at Oxford University’s Master of Studies in International Human Rights Law, emphasized that "Israel," the United States, and any actors complicit in the deliberate starvation of civilians in Gaza are legally obligated under international law to ensure access to food and water, and to allow unhindered humanitarian operations.

She cited “shocking” reports of Palestinian civilians being killed while waiting in line at US-supported food distribution centers in Gaza, and highlighted the widespread hunger and malnutrition among the population.

Multiple UN agencies have already condemned the food distribution mechanism backed by "Israel" and the United States, labeling it “an abomination” and “a death trap.”