ISTANBUL

Hamas welcomed a UN Security Council declaration on Wednesday, opposed only by the US, that urged an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian resistance group said in a statement that Washington’s continued opposition to binding Security Council resolutions makes it “a full partner in the crime against our people.”

Hamas underscores that starvation is a weapon prohibited under international law and exposes “the (Israeli) occupation’s crime in Gaza.”

The Council highlighted the catastrophic humanitarian situation and the risk of famine, particularly for children and civilians.

It described the declaration as an “advanced step,” showing a broad international consensus condemning genocide and the use of starvation in the enclave.

The group urged the Council to take concrete measures to deter Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and compel it to halt the “brutal war of extermination.”

It also urged Israeli leaders to be held accountable as war criminals for “crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza.”

In all, 14 Security Council members sharply denounced “the use of starvation as a weapon of war,” which they said is “clearly prohibited under international humanitarian law.”

They called “for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire,” the release of all hostages remaining in Gaza and a surge in humanitarian assistance.

The US was the sole member to refrain from signing on to the declaration, which said Israel must “immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on aid delivery,” and calls on it “to immediately reverse its decision to further expand its military operation in Gaza with the aim of taking over Gaza City.”

The Council met Wednesday to discuss the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with UN and humanitarian officials raising the alarm that famine is expanding across the besieged territory.

Gaza's Health Ministry confirmed Wednesday the deaths of 10 more people from starvation, including two children, raising the total famine-related deaths to 313. That includes 119 children.

Israel’s full blockade of Gaza, in place since early March, has created catastrophic conditions for its 2.4 million residents, leading to famine, widespread disease and the collapse of essential services.

Israel has killed nearly 63,000 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.