Saudi Arabia accuses Israel of starving Gaza’s population

ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia accused Israel on Sunday of pursuing a systematic policy of starving the population of the Gaza Strip.

“Israel is pursuing a systematic policy of starvation in the Gaza Strip," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo.

He called for obligating Israel “to do what we are all committed to, which is adherence to international law and humanitarian law."

“We need a valuable and binding international resolution to stop the Israeli occupation’s aggression against Gaza,” bin Farhan said.

Shoukry, for his part, called for implementing a provisional ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the Israeli war on Gaza and for “respecting the rules of international legitimacy.”

The ICJ on Friday found South Africa's claim that Israel is committing genocide plausible. The court issued an interim order urging Israel to stop obstructing aid deliveries into Gaza and to improve the humanitarian situation.

Flouting the ICJ’s provisional ruling, Israel continues its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where at least 26,422 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 65,087 others injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel says nearly 1,200 people have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala