The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for saying it could be “justified and moral” to starve Palestinians in Gaza.
In a statement released Thursday, the Foreign Ministry described Smotrich’s comments as an “explicit admission of the adoption and boasting of the policy of genocide.”
“The ministry further stated that such a statement is considered a direct disregard for international legitimacy decisions and international consensus on protecting civilians and ensuring their basic humanitarian needs,” the statement said.
“She called on the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant against Smotrich for approving and supporting the policy of genocide.”
The ministry also urged countries around the world to condemn Smotrich and ban him from entering their territories.
Smotrich had said earlier this week that Israel had “no choice” but to allow aid into Gaza in order to maintain what he called the “international legitimacy” of the war.
“In the current global reality, we cannot manage a war. No one in the world will allow us to starve two million people, even if it may be justified and moral to free the hostages,” he said.
Israel has imposed a suffocating blockade on Gaza, threatening the territory with famine. The Israeli army’s incessant bombardments also make it difficult to distribute humanitarian aid that reaches Gaza.
Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in 10 months, mostly women and children, and more than 91,600 others injured, according to Gaza health authorities.
ICC prosecutors are seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yaov Gallant, but not for Smotrich.
The far-right finance minister often makes anti-Palestinian statements that spark international outrage. For example, last year he said the Palestinian village of Huwara in the occupied West Bank should be “razed,” a statement Washington called “repugnant.”
Several countries have criticized Smorich’s latest comments on Gaza. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called on the Israeli government to retract and condemn the remarks.
“International law could not be clearer: deliberately starving civilians is a war crime,” Lammy said in a social media post.
The European Union echoed this position. “We expect the Israeli government to distance itself unequivocally from Minister Smotrich’s remarks and to be transparent about the torture reported in Sde Teiman prison,” the European Union said in a statement.
The United States, Israel’s largest arms supplier, also condemned Smotrich’s remarks.
“We are appalled by these comments and reiterate that this rhetoric is harmful and disturbing,” a US State Department spokesperson told Tel Aviv Tribune in an email.
“The President and the Secretary of State said it is necessary to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, remove all obstacles to the delivery of aid, and restore basic services to those in need.”
Tel Aviv Tribune senior political analyst Marwan Bishara lambasted countries that opposed Smotrich’s comments while continuing to support Israel despite its siege on Gaza.
“Just take a moment and think about it – they are horrified by what Smotrich said, but not by the reality that has been unfolding for the last 10 months,” Bishara said.
Meanwhile, Israeli media also published footage appearing to show Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman prison.
There have been numerous reports of horrific abuses at the facility, including rape, torture, starvation and extrajudicial killings.
The United States on Wednesday urged Israel to investigate allegations of sexual assault against Palestinian detainees.
“There should be zero tolerance for sexual abuse, rape of any detainee, period. That is a core belief of the United States,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
“And if there are detainees who have been sexually assaulted or raped, the government of Israel and the Israeli military must fully investigate these acts and hold those responsible accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
