A special UN committee accused "Israel" on Thursday of "using starvation as a method of war," ruling that its war on Gaza is consistent with the characteristics of genocide. "Mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions intentionally imposed on Palestinians" were highlighted by the United Nations Special Committee in a new report covering events from October 7, 2023, through to July. 

The Committee stated that "Israel" is deliberately killing, starving, and injuring Gazans through its siege and blocking of humanitarian aid, in addition to targeting aid workers.

This is happening despite repeated UN appeals, binding orders from the International Court of Justice, and Security Council resolutions, it warned. 

The Committee, which has been scrutinizing Israeli actions impacting Palestinian rights for decades, revealed that "Israel's" methods "are consistent with the characteristics of genocide."

Meanwhile, a UN-backed study issued over the weekend warned of imminent famine in northern Gaza. 

Thursday's study detailed how prolonged bombing in Gaza had demolished key services and created an environmental disaster with long-term health consequences. According to the research, Israeli troops have used over 25,000 tons of explosives in the Gaza Strip by February of this year, which is "equivalent to two nuclear bombs."

The Committee condemned the aggression that led to the destruction of critical water, sanitation, and food systems, along with environmental contamination, which has created a dire crisis that will harm future generations.

It also expressed alarm over the unprecedented destruction of civilian infrastructure and the high death toll, with over 43,700 people reportedly killed in Gaza since the war began. 

The Committee expressed grave concern over "Israel's" use of AI-assisted targeting systems in its aggression, citing the high civilian death toll and criticizing the lack of human oversight, heavy bomb usage, and new directives that lowered the criteria for selecting targets, which allowed AI to rapidly generate and track targets, even civilian homes.

The Committee also called on other nations to take action to stop the violence, accusing them of being "unwilling to hold Israel accountable and continue to provide it with military and other support."

Israeli acts reminiscent of gravest int'l crimes: OCHA chief at UNSC

Joyce Msuya, the interim head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), condemned on Tuesday the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, labeling Israeli actions against Palestinians as "acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes" during a UN Security Council meeting in Palestine.

"We are witnessing acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes," she said, condemning the Israeli military's recent escalation in northern Gaza, where civilians have been "driven" from their homes and forced to witness the killing of their loved ones.

Msuya questioned, "What distinction was made, and what precautions were taken, if more than 70 percent of civilian housing is either damaged or destroyed?"

She also raised concerns over a recent bill passed by the Israeli Knesset that seeks to ban the operations of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) starting in January. Msuya urged UN member states to apply diplomatic and economic pressure to prevent further suffering for the Palestinian people.

Eight organizations, including Oxfam and Save The Children, declared that "the humanitarian situation in Gaza is now at its worst point since the war began in October 2023."

The meeting followed a recent UN-backed report warning of a high risk of famine in the besieged Palestinian territory.