BRUSSELS: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that Israel is provoking famine in Gaza and using starvation as a weapon of war, an accusation Israel鈥檚 foreign minister rejected.
鈥淚n Gaza we are no longer on the brink of famine, we are in a state of famine, affecting thousands of people,鈥� Borrell said at the opening of a conference on humanitarian aid for Gaza in Brussels.
鈥淭his is unacceptable. Starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israel is provoking famine.鈥�
Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz in a response urged Borrell to 鈥渟top attacking Israel and recognize our right to self-defense against Hamas鈥� crimes.鈥�
Katz in a post on X said Israel allowed 鈥渆xtensive humanitarian aid into Gaza by land, air, and sea for anyone willing to help,鈥� but that help was 鈥渧iolently disturbed鈥� by Hamas militants with 鈥渃ollaboration鈥� by the UN鈥檚 aid agency UNRWA.