The Hamas Movement issued an urgent appeal on Tuesday, calling on Arab and Islamic nations to take immediate and decisive action to end the Israeli-imposed siege on the Gaza Strip and reopen all crossings to allow the flow of life-saving humanitarian aid.

In a strongly worded statement, Hamas warned that the Palestinian population in Gaza is enduring a campaign of “systematic extermination and criminal starvation,” as humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave reach catastrophic levels.

“Our people are dying of hunger,” the statement declared. “Now is the time to break the restrictions, open the crossings, and provide urgent aid to the starving people of Gaza.”

According to the group, more than two million Palestinians are now facing an “unprecedented humanitarian disaster” due to the ongoing blockade, severe shortages of food and medical supplies, and relentless Israeli bombardments.

Hamas criticized the silence of Arab and Muslim leaders, asserting that their inaction is effectively enabling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue what the movement described as “starvation and genocide policies.”

“The utter silence of the Ummah’s leaders encourages war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu to persist in his crimes,” the statement added, urging nations with moral and political influence to immediately intervene.

The call comes as international aid agencies continue to warn of soaring malnutrition, famine, and a collapse of basic services in Gaza following nearly 10 months of sustained Israeli military assault and blockade since October 2023.

Hamas reiterated its call for the urgent delivery of food, medicine, and fuel, and demanded pressure be exerted on the Israeli occupation to lift its siege, which has turned Gaza into what observers describe as “an open-air graveyard.”

Efforts to coordinate humanitarian corridors have repeatedly failed due to continued Israeli obstruction and military aggression in and around key aid entry points.

The statement concluded with a plea to the Arab and Islamic world: “History will remember who stood with Gaza and who remained silent in the face of genocide.” (ILKHA)