UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday voiced alarm over recent statements by Israeli officials suggesting that humanitarian aid could be used as leverage in military operations, warning that such rhetoric violates the basic tenets of humanitarian law.

"I am alarmed by statements by Israeli government officials about the use of humanitarian aid as a tool for military pressure," Guterres said during a UN Security Council session on Palestine. He stressed that "Israel should protect civilians and allow entry of aid into the Gaza Strip."

The remarks came amid mounting evidence of deepening humanitarian abuses in Gaza, where "Israel" resumed its assault on March 18 after the breakdown of a US-brokered ceasefire. Along with renewed bombardment, Israeli occupation authorities cut off electricity to a key desalination facility and blocked the entry of humanitarian convoys, worsening shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), widespread looting of aid shipments has been reported as desperation among Gaza's besieged population escalates. Aid agencies estimate that over 80% of Gaza's 2.4 million residents now depend on emergency relief, with severe malnutrition rates, particularly among children, rising sharply.

Staff abuse

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In a stark new revelation, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) disclosed that more than 50 of its staff members, including teachers, doctors, and social workers, have been detained and abused by Israeli forces since the war began.

"Since the start of the war in October 2023, over 50 UNRWA staff, among them teachers, doctors, social workers, have been detained and abused," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X.

"They have been treated in the most shocking and inhumane way," he said, citing testimonies that detail beatings, sleep deprivation, humiliation, dog attacks, and forced confessions. One released staffer reportedly said, "I wished for death to end this nightmare I was living through."

The treatment of humanitarian workers adds to growing concerns about systematic violations of international law in Gaza. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) this week launched hearings to assess whether "Israel's" actions, including the blockade of humanitarian aid, violate its legal obligations to the Palestinian people. Representatives from 38 nations, along with the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the African Union, are presenting arguments before the court.

Read more: ICC judges issue gag order on arrest warrants in Israeli war crimes

Echoing Guterres's concerns, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that "Israel's" policies are threatening the very survival of Palestinians in Gaza. "Israel appears to be inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life increasingly incompatible with their continued existence as a group in Gaza," Türk said.

He added that "the extent of Israel's continued restrictions on entry of aid into Gaza, together with the manner in which it continues to conduct hostilities, may amount to the use of starvation as a method of war."

With over 50,000 Palestinians reportedly killed since October 2023 and famine looming, rights groups and international organizations are intensifying calls for immediate action to prevent what many describe as a looming humanitarian collapse.