UN human rights experts have called on Israel to immediately restore unimpeded access to Gaza for impartial humanitarian organisations, warning that starvation is claiming lives at an alarming rate and could cause irreversible harm to the territory’s population.

In a statement on Thursday, the experts said Israel must allow full operations by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to avert “further deaths and inhuman suffering.”

“All States must act decisively to prevent Israel’s destruction of the conditions of life in Gaza and stop its endless war on humanity,” the experts urged. “States must do everything in their power to restore the UN humanitarian system in Gaza.”

According to UN figures, over 500,000 people — a quarter of Gaza’s population — face famine, while the rest are enduring emergency levels of hunger. All 320,000 children under the age of five are at risk of acute malnutrition, with potentially lifelong health consequences.

The experts accused Israel of using starvation “as a savage weapon of war,” calling it a crime under international law. They condemned Israel’s replacement of impartial UN aid with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — a militarised and privatised aid delivery system — which they said resulted in severe food shortages and the deaths of nearly 1,400 people seeking food.

The statement denounced two Israeli laws that prohibit cooperation with UNRWA, disrupting the work of its 17,000 staff, interfering with its operations, and impeding the delivery of food, shelter, health care, and other essential services to 2.3 million Gazans.

Both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council have described UNRWA as the “indispensable backbone” of humanitarian relief in Gaza. The agency also provides education, sanitation, and social services, particularly for the nearly 2 million displaced persons in the enclave.

Israel has justified its restrictions by alleging UNRWA’s involvement in terrorism — claims the experts said are “unfounded.” Two independent reviews, including the Colonna Review, found no evidence to support the allegations, and most donor nations resumed funding after the investigations. The United States remains the only major donor withholding funds, pushing UNRWA to what the UN Secretary-General called an “unprecedented breaking point.”

The experts also criticised Israel’s recent targeting of OCHA, citing new visa restrictions that have already impeded access by senior humanitarian personnel.

The statement urged the international community to secure an immediate ceasefire, release hostages, and ensure accountability for violations of international law. The experts reiterated the International Court of Justice’s ruling that the illegal occupation must end and that Palestinians have the right to self-determination in an independent, secure State of Palestine.

Israel has also been accused of obstructing international human rights bodies, barring international media from Gaza, and targeting local journalists with impunity.

“Israel has an international legal duty to protect UN humanitarian agencies from interference, coordinate security for their staff, and facilitate relief operations,” the experts said. “The world must act before Gaza’s humanitarian collapse becomes irreversible.” (ILKHA)