ICSPR Sends an Urgent Letter to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court Regarding the Use of Starvation as a Weapon of War in the Gaza Strip

Date: May 9, 2025

Press Release
ICSPR Sends an Urgent Letter to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court Regarding the Use of Starvation as a Weapon of War in the Gaza Strip

The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights (ICSPR) has sent an urgent human rights letter to several international and UN bodies, including Ms. Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; Mr. António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General; Mr. Michael Fakhri, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food; the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC); the Human Rights Council; and the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, to shed light on the ongoing crime of using starvation as a systematic weapon of war against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.

In its letter, titled: “Letter on the Use of Starvation as a Weapon of War Against Civilians in the Gaza Strip”, ICSPR affirmed that the Israeli occupation authorities have, since launching their large-scale aggression on Gaza on October 7, 2023, pursued an organized and systematic policy of starvation, reaching the level of using hunger as a weapon to commit mass extermination.

First: Systematic Starvation as a Weapon of War

ICSPR outlined a series of actions by the occupation authorities that collectively constitute a systematic starvation policy, including:

• Complete closure of all border crossings and prevention of food and medical supplies since March 2025.

• Seizure, redirection, destruction, or delivery of humanitarian convoys to non-neutral actors.

• Targeting of agricultural facilities, bulldozing of farmland, and drying of water sources.

• Bombing bakeries and food distribution centers, and seizing aid trucks.

• Use of drones to prevent food distribution gatherings, especially in northern Gaza.

Second: Catastrophic Impact on Civilians

The Commission noted that this Israeli policy has led to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe:

• 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza face severe food insecurity, with 576,000 people already in a state of full-scale famine.

• At least 57 civilians, including 26 children, have died from direct hunger and food deprivation during March and April 2025.

• Approximately 7,700 infants are at risk of death due to the lack of infant formula, while over 60,000 children suffer from chronic illnesses.

• UNICEF warnings indicate a slow death threat to more than 335,000 children.

• Diseases such as anemia, rickets, and night blindness are spreading, with 100% of children under the age of five suffering from anemia.

• Around 16,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women face the risks of famine and malnutrition.

• Nearly 90% of bakeries have ceased operations, and more than 75% of hospitals and nutrition centers have shut down.

Third: Militarization of Aid and Attempts to Impose Israeli Control

ICSPR warned of attempts by the occupation authorities to enforce a new aid distribution plan that aims to militarize humanitarian relief through the establishment of an alternative entity led by the United States, relying on private security companies to control the flow and distribution of aid. This plan includes:

• Military control over relief operations and preventing access to the most affected civilians.

• Distribution of aid through non-humanitarian, for-profit companies.

• Forcing civilians to relocate to unsafe areas.

• Using food to shape new displacement maps serving Israeli political and military objectives.

Fourth: Undermining Humanitarian Organizations

The Commission documented direct attacks by Israeli forces on UNRWA facilities and personnel, disrupting its relief role in Gaza. More than 160 other humanitarian organization premises have also been targeted, with strict restrictions placed on international organizations, severely hampering aid delivery to genocide-affected civilians.

Fifth: Destruction of Humanitarian Infrastructure

ICSPR reported that the occupation systematically destroyed humanitarian infrastructure, including:

• Bombing 28 charity kitchens, 37 aid distribution centers, and 16 bakeries.

• Disrupting local aid networks and bulldozing markets.

• Preventing the entry of cash and essential medical supplies needed for humanitarian work.

Sixth: Legal Framework of Violations

ICSPR emphasized that using starvation as a weapon of war constitutes a war crime under Article 8 of the Rome Statute, and a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit targeting civilians or obstructing humanitarian aid. This conduct also violates core rights under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and stands in clear defiance of UN resolutions and International Court of Justice measures.

Seventh: ICSPR’s Urgent Demands

The letter concluded with several urgent demands, calling on international bodies to:

• Officially declare that Israel is using starvation as a weapon against civilians and classify it as a war crime.

• Act before the International Criminal Court to launch an urgent investigation into the crime of mass starvation in Gaza.

• Press for the opening of safe humanitarian corridors under international peacekeeping oversight to ensure the delivery of food and medicine.

• Immediately resume funding for UNRWA and international humanitarian organizations to fulfill their relief missions.

• Enable international fact-finding missions to enter Gaza and document the catastrophic effects of the starvation policy.

• Impose international sanctions on the Israeli occupation state as the responsible party for these crimes.

In conclusion, ICSPR affirmed that the continued use of starvation as a weapon of war in the Gaza Strip reflects an unprecedented level of defiance toward international law and forms an integral part of a policy of genocide aimed at forcibly displacing and exterminating the population. ICSPR urgently calls on the international community to act to end these crimes and save what remains of human values.