Israel's Finance Minister Sparks Outrage with Remarks on Gaza

Israel's finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has sparked widespread condemnation from the country's Western allies after suggesting that causing the starvation of Gaza's two million Palestinians "might be just and moral" until hostages captured in Hamas's attack are returned home. In a speech on Monday, Smotrich stated that Israel had no choice but to send humanitarian aid into Gaza, but his remarks were met with outrage from international leaders, who deemed them "beyond ignominious" and a "war crime." The European Union, Britain, and Germany have all condemned Smotrich's comments, emphasizing the importance of protecting civilians in a war and providing them access to water and food.

Key Takeaways:

• Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich suggested that causing the starvation of Gaza's two million Palestinians "might be just and moral" until hostages captured in Hamas's attack are returned home.
• Smotrich's remarks were met with condemnation from the European Union, which described the deliberate starvation of civilians as a war crime.
• British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Germany's ambassador to Israel, Steffen Siebert, also condemned Smotrich's comments, calling them "beyond ignominious" and "unacceptable and appalling."
• The ongoing war sparked by Hamas's attack on October 7 has plunged Gaza into a humanitarian catastrophe, with hundreds of thousands packed into squalid tent camps and the majority of the population displaced.
• The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has classified Gaza as "high risk" of famine, with the majority of its population at risk of starvation.

Statistics:

• 2 million Palestinians reside in Gaza.
• 100,000s are packed into squalid tent camps.
• Gaza is at "high risk" of famine, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
• October 7 marked the date of last year's Hamas attack.
• Smotrich stated that Israel has "no choice" but to send humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Sources:

• European Union - exact phrase used in the original text
• "beyond ignominious" - phrase used by Josep Borrell, EU foreign policy chief
• "unacceptable and appalling" - phrase used by Steffen Siebert, Germany's ambassador to Israel
• "It is a principle of international law and of humanity to protect civilians in a war and to give them access to water and food" - phrase used by Steffen Siebert, Germany's ambassador to Israel
• The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, June - exact phrase used in the original text