After months of warnings, a recent UN-backed report offered hard statistical evidence that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is turning into a man-made famine.
It has increased the pressure on Israel to fulfil its legal responsibilities to protect Palestinian civilians, and to allow adequate supplies of humanitarian aid to reach the people who need it.
The UN's most senior human rights official, Volker Türk, said in a BBC interview that Israel bore significant blame, and that there was a "plausible" case that Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.
Mr Türk, who is the UN high commissioner for human rights, said that if intent was proven, that would amount to a war crime.
Israel's economy minister, Nir Barkat, a senior politician in Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, dismissed Mr Türk's warnings as "total nonsense - a totally irresponsible thing to say".
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@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
Is it ever acceptable to use food as a weapon in conflict, and why do you feel that way?
Israel is the most evil country on earth. It is itself a terrorist state. It should be forced to comply with its original borders, ie pre 1948. The deliberate persecution of the Palestinians is morally outrageous, and must be stopped.
@9L6Y8PWLiberal Democrat2yrs2Y
no never depriving innocent people of essential things is never okay and should not be legal to do
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
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