UNITED NATIONS: Israel on Friday blasted the United Nations aid chief for asking the UN Security Council if it would act to 鈥減revent genocide鈥� in the Gaza Strip, where experts say famine looms after Israel blocked aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave 75 days ago.

While briefing the 15-member body earlier this week, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said: 鈥淲ill you act 鈥� decisively 鈥� to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?鈥�

In a letter to Fletcher on Friday, Israel鈥檚 UN Ambassador Danny Danon accused him of delivering 鈥渁 political sermon鈥� and weaponizing the word genocide against Israel, questioning under what authority he made what Israel viewed as an accusation.

鈥淵ou had the audacity, in your capacity as a senior UN official, to stand before the Security Council and invoke the charge of genocide without evidence, mandate, or restraint,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淚t was an utterly inappropriate and deeply irresponsible statement that shattered any notion of neutrality.鈥�

A spokesperson for Fletcher did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.

Under international law, genocide is an intent to destroy, in whole or part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. This includes through killings, serious bodily or mental harm and inflicting conditions calculated to bring about physical destruction.

The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel鈥檚 military campaign has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies, and has blocked all aid to Gaza since March 2, demanding Hamas release all remaining hostages.

A global hunger monitor warned on Monday that half a million people face starvation 鈥� about a quarter of the population in the enclave.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that 鈥渁 lot of people are starving in Gaza.鈥�