Israeli Minister Suggests No Duty to Alleviate Hunger in Gaza, Advocates Expulsion

Jerusalem – An Israeli ​government minister​ declared on Thursday ‍that Israel has no obligation to ⁤alleviate hunger in the Gaza Strip and⁢ expressed a‍ desire ⁣to see the territory’s population ⁤expelled. ‍Amichay⁢ Eliyahu, the far-right politician leading israel’s‌ heritage ministry, stated in a radio interview that “there is ⁢no nation that feeds its enemies,” drawing parallels to ⁢historical conflicts ⁤where warring nations did not provide sustenance to their adversaries.

Eliyahu,‌ whose ‌ministry oversees historical and archaeological⁤ sites, ​asserted that the government was “rushing toward Gaza being wiped out” and together “driving out the population ⁣that educated its people on the ideas of ‘Mein Kampf’,” referring ⁤to Adolf Hitler’s anti-Semitic manifesto.

The office‍ of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin⁢ Netanyahu declined to ⁤comment on whether ⁣Eliyahu’s remarks ⁣represented the government’s official stance. an Israeli⁤ military official, ‌speaking anonymously, stated that Eliyahu’s comments did not reflect ‍military policy. Eliyahu himself⁤ has ⁤no authority over the military and does not participate⁣ in⁢ security decision-making meetings.

Eliyahu’s statements where met wiht swift condemnation from Israeli ⁢opposition politicians, who emphasized that his views do not represent the israeli mainstream. Public opinion polls indicate that a majority ‍of Israelis ‌favor a ceasefire to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

The minister’s‌ remarks come ⁤amid a ‌severe ⁣humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with increasing reports of starvation. Israel had blocked all food deliveries to the enclave ​between⁤ early March⁣ and‌ late May. While some food is now permitted,the number of distribution⁤ points has been drastically reduced,forcing Palestinians to⁤ access aid from a limited⁤ number​ of difficult-to-reach locations.

The united Nations’ Palestinian refugee agency (unrwa) has‌ reported that​ one in five children in Gaza City is malnourished, with cases escalating daily. Unrwa Commissioner-General⁤ Philippe Lazzarini quoted a colleague describing the situation⁤ as “People in Gaza​ are neither dead nor alive, they are walking corpses.”

More⁣ than 100 international aid organizations and human rights groups have issued warnings ‍about mass⁣ starvation in ⁣Gaza and urged‍ governments⁤ to‍ intervene.