ISTANBUL 

Malaysian statesman and former prime minister Mahathir Mohamed decried on Friday Israel's blockade of aid into the Gaza Strip, saying humanity has descended to the level of savages.

In a statement on US social media company X, Mahathir said "70,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by the Israelis" since October 2023 but "they are still killing even during a ceasefire" that was reached over two months ago.

"And now they are blocking supplies of medicine and food to Gaza. Even the doctors are being blocked from entering Gaza to attend to the sick and wounded in hospitals which had been destroyed by Israeli savages," he said, adding that the world is witnessing these acts.

"Humanity cannot claim to be civilised. We have descended to the level of savages. We see gross injustice, massacres, murders unlimited and we do nothing," Mahathir said.

Israel has banned as many as 37 humanitarian organizations from operating in Gaza for failing to comply with new registration rules.

The move has drawn criticism, with relief agencies saying the ban that took effect on Jan. 1 will harm the enclave's population, which remains desperately in need of aid.