The Hamas Movement has issued a sharp condemnation of what it described as Israel's ongoing use of starvation as a weapon of war against the besieged population of the Gaza Strip, warning that the humanitarian situation has reached catastrophic levels amid a total blockade now extending beyond 70 consecutive days.

In a statement released Wednesday, Hamas said the Israeli occupation is deliberately enforcing a full closure of Gaza's crossings, effectively cutting off access to food, medicine, fuel, and water for more than 2.25 million people. The group claimed that this policy of deprivation, paired with a relentless military onslaught, amounts to a campaign of genocide carried out openly and without consequence under the watch of the international community.

"This criminal siege and the denial of life-saving aid are part of a systematic effort to starve and destroy an entire population," the statement read, accusing Israel of flouting international humanitarian law and ignoring repeated calls by the United Nations and relief organizations to allow urgent aid deliveries.

Hamas also condemned what it termed as "shameful" silence from the global community, describing it as a dangerous failure to uphold the basic principles of international law. "The inaction of world powers and international institutions signals a collapse of moral responsibility," the group stated, adding that Palestinians in Gaza are "being killed daily, either by airstrikes or by hunger."

The statement further criticized UN agencies for issuing "empty condemnations" while failing to take effective measures to stop what Hamas described as war crimes committed by an "occupying force devoid of all moral and human values."

Calling for immediate intervention, Hamas appealed to the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the United Nations to halt the ongoing genocide, lift the siege, and ensure accountability for what it described as Israeli war criminals.

The crisis in Gaza continues to deepen as the enclave faces severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign, launched in response to the October 2023 escalation. According to Gaza health authorities, over 52,900 Palestinians have been killed since then, with tens of thousands more wounded or displaced. (ILKHA)