He stressed that depriving civilians of food constitutes a war crime and possibly a crime against humanity, calling for an immediate cessation of violence and making saving lives a top priority for all parties. He noted that Israel continues to impose severe restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, exacerbating civilian suffering and threatening their lives.
At the same time, Türk renewed his call for the immediate release of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza, warning other countries against participating in or tolerating legal violations during the conflict.
These statements come amid the ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza, imposed since March 2023, which has led to widespread famine and catastrophic levels of hunger. This situation has resulted in the deaths and injuries of more than 210,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children, in addition to thousands of missing persons and hundreds of thousands of displaced persons.
In turn, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq announced that approximately 1,500 Palestinians have been killed since May 2025 while attempting to obtain food, due to gunfire at aid distribution points and along supply routes that have been "militarized" by Israel.
He explained that the aid allowed in did not meet basic needs, especially given the halt in the entry of construction materials since March, which has negatively impacted residents' ability to build shelters and provide shelter. Haq emphasized that hunger, especially among children, has reached alarming levels that require urgent intervention.
Haq stated that trucks arriving at the Rafah crossing do not enter Gaza directly due to the destruction of the Palestinian side of the crossing. Instead, they are diverted to the Kerem Shalom crossing, where they are subject to strict inspection by Israeli authorities.
He noted that Israel allows a limited number of trucks to cross, leading to the backlog of aid and delays in its arrival. In July 2025, reports revealed that the Israeli occupation army destroyed food and medical supplies among more than 1,000 aid trucks piled up on the Palestinian side.
The Government Information Office in Gaza confirmed that Israel has allowed only 674 trucks into Gaza since late July, representing only 14% of the minimum daily requirement.
With US support, Israel has continued its war of extermination on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, destroying infrastructure and leaving tens of thousands dead and wounded, most of them women and children.
