Iran Slams Israeli Use of Hunger as Weapon in Gaza, Calls for Urgent Islamic Summit
In a press briefing on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei denounced “the crimes of the Zionist regime” in Gaza, saying, “Expressing disgust at the injustice and atrocities taking place in Gaza is not just a political act—it’s a human and ethical imperative.”
Baghaei pointed to a sharp escalation of violence over the past two years, emphasizing that recent developments have pushed the crisis into unprecedented territory. He said the use of starvation tactics, particularly the blockade of food and water, had turned Gaza into the site of an unfolding humanitarian disaster.
Referring to the strict Israeli regime's blockade on Gaza in the past 140 days, he said, “We are now hearing the cries for help from Palestinians across social media, while journalists remain on the front lines, exposing this bitter truth.”
Baghaei slammed the silence of the international community, saying that global inaction has enabled the crimes to continue unchecked.
“Human conscience has been reduced to silence,” he said, calling the situation “one of the most tragic conditions the Zionist regime has imposed on global morality.”
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His remarks come amid growing outrage following a series of deadly attacks by Israeli forces targeting aid distribution points. According to Gaza health officials, Israeli forces killed at least 115 Palestinians on Sunday, including 92 people shot while attempting to access food at the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza and at aid sites in Rafah and Khan Younis.
In Zikim alone, Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd seeking flour from a UN aid convoy, killing at least 79 people, medical sources reported. In Rafah, nine more were killed near an aid point, following 36 deaths at the same site just a day earlier. Four additional deaths were reported near another aid distribution area in Khan Younis, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence.
“Food lines are being turned into death traps,” Baghaei said. “This level of brutality defies description.”
Gaza’s Ministry of Health also issued an alarming warning, reporting at least 19 starvation deaths on the same day.
“We warn that hundreds of people whose bodies have wasted away are at risk of imminent death due to hunger,” a ministry spokesperson said.
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Since the conflict began in 2023, at least 71 children in Gaza have died of malnutrition, and 60,000 more are suffering from severe undernourishment, the ministry added.
Baghaei called on regional powers to act urgently, noting, “The international community has failed a major test. It’s now time for regional countries to step in responsibly.”
He urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to convene a special emergency meeting without delay, and confirmed that Iran had formally submitted this request to the OIC secretariat.
Baghaei criticized the failure of international legal and humanitarian institutions to respond effectively to the crisis.
“Human rights organizations and humanitarian bodies have proven unable to fulfill their basic duties,” he said. “International courts, under political pressure and distortion, have failed to carry out their legal obligations to halt these atrocities.”
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