Council of Europe denounces ‘deliberate starvation’ in Gaza

The Council of Europe condemned the “deliberate starvation” of Gaza and warned that Israel’s actions are fostering conditions for the emergence of a new Hamas, according to Dora Bakoyannis, the Council’s rapporteur for the Middle East. Since March 2, Israel has blocked humanitarian aid to Gaza’s 2.4 million residents, leading to warnings of famine, with recent Israeli offensives resulting in over 53,000 deaths in Gaza, primarily among civilians. Bakoyannis emphasized that no just cause justifies the mass killing of innocents and called for an end to the suffering inflicted on Palestinians.