ISTANBUL

Arab states on Friday condemned Israel over the famine officially declared in Gaza, with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) accusing Tel Aviv of committing grave crimes against starving civilians and calling for urgent international intervention.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry accused Israel of committing genocide against civilians in Gaza, describing the famine as a “stain on the conscience of humanity.”

The ministry said the famine, confirmed by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), is a direct result of systematic crimes committed by the Israeli army, including the obstruction of humanitarian aid and forced displacement of civilians under siege.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its deep concern following the IPC report and the official declaration of famine in Gaza,” the ministry said.

“The continuation of these crimes without deterrence or accountability represents a disgrace to the international community.”

Riyadh condemned what it called “repeated genocide crimes” by Israeli forces and called on the international community, particularly permanent members of the UN Security Council, to take urgent steps to end the famine and stop Israel’s extermination war against the Palestinian people.

Kuwait also denounced Israel’s policy of starvation, repression, and forced displacement in Gaza.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry called on the international community to stop the ongoing genocide in Gaza and hold Israel accountable for crimes against humanity, citing UN Security Council Resolution 2417, which prohibits the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

The GCC likewise urged immediate international pressure on Israel to open crossings and allow unrestricted humanitarian aid into Gaza.

GCC Secretary-General Jasem al-Budaiwi called the famine a result of Israel’s “inhumane starvation policies” and reaffirmed support for Palestinian rights and protection under international law.

Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Sufyan Qudah called the declaration “a dangerous indicator of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, resulting from the systematic inhumane policies and measures by the Israeli government that have turned starvation into a weapon against the Palestinians.”

He condemned Israel’s continued restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which he said have led to “alarming levels of famine.”

Qudah called on the international community to “act immediately and without delay to compel Israel to end its aggression on Gaza, put an end to the famine and humanitarian catastrophe caused by the aggression, and ensure the sufficient and sustainable entry of aid into the Strip.”

The IPC’s latest report, released Friday, confirmed that famine conditions are already present in Gaza, affecting over 500,000 people. The crisis, described by UN agencies as entirely man-made, is projected to spread further south in the coming weeks, unless a large-scale humanitarian response is urgently allowed.

UN officials and humanitarian agencies have blamed Israel’s blockade, destruction of civilian infrastructure, repeated displacement, and severe restrictions on aid deliveries as the main drivers of the famine.

Israel has killed nearly 62,300 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.