ALBAWABA- In a strong rebuke, Egypt's Foreign Ministry condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's recent statement suggesting a "moral justification" for starving Palestinian civilians in Gaza until Hamas releases its hostages.
The statement, issued on Thursday, denounced Smotrich's remarks as "outrageous and unacceptable," calling them a clear violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
Egypt emphasized that as the occupying power, Israel is legally obligated to ensure the safety and basic needs of the Palestinian population under its control.
Egypt further criticized these "irresponsible and inflammatory comments" as an "incitement against Gaza's residents" and accused Israel of evading its responsibilities, as outlined by the International Court of Justice.
The statement called on the global community to take urgent action to end the suffering of Gaza's civilians and uphold the fundamental legal and ethical standards of war.
Notably, Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, ignited international outrage on Wednesday when he stated, "No one in the world will let us starve 2 million people, even though it might be justified and moral to do so to free the hostages."
The international community has widely condemned Smotrich's remarks, with the European Union, France, and the United Kingdom expressing their strong disapproval.
European leaders have urged the Israeli government to distance itself from Smotrich's comments, labeling them as "utterly disgraceful."
France and the UK echoed these sentiments, with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stating that deliberately starving civilians "constitutes a war crime."
