Israel’s defence minister says blockade is a ‘pressure lever’ against Hamas and there are no plans to ease it.

Hamas has accused Israel of openly using starvation as a weapon of war, a day after Israel’s defence minister pledged to maintain a blockade on aid entering Gaza.

Aid deliveries into the Palestinian territory have been halted since March 2, weeks before Israel broke a temporary ceasefire by restarting aerial bombardment on March 18 and later relaunched its ground assault.

Speaking on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the blockade as a “main pressure lever” against Hamas, saying there were no plans to ease restrictions – despite UN warnings that malnutrition is rapidly worsening in Gaza.

In response, Hamas condemned Katz’s remarks as “a public admission of committing a war crime”.

Israel is “depriving innocent civilians of basic necessities of life, including food, medicine, water and fuel, for the seventh consecutive week”, the group said in a statement posted to Telegram on Thursday.

“We renew our calls for the international community to take action to stop the starvation and blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip,” it added.

In March 2024, the United Nations’ International Court of Justice ruled Israel must ensure the delivery of essential aid – including food, water, fuel and medical supplies – into Gaza. Israel has repeatedly defied the binding order, claiming that Hamas misuses aid.

‘Food consumption sharply deteriorating’

According to Israel’s Kan broadcaster, Israeli defence figures estimate Gaza’s remaining food supplies could be depleted within a month.

The Israeli army is brainstorming ways to deliver aid “without it reaching Hamas”, including proposals for “stationary aid centres” managed by international organisations in zones secured by Israeli forces, Kan reported.

Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, said sources in UN agencies have told her that Israel wants to pre-approve who receives aid – essentially vetting beneficiaries in advance.

“Already we have heard from the United Nations that this is something that cannot be acceptable,” she said.

The reports come as the UN escalates warnings about deepening hunger in Gaza.

The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 3,696 children were newly admitted with acute malnutrition in March – an 80 percent increase from February.

“Food consumption in Gaza has sharply deteriorated due to the blockade on the entry of humanitarian aid and other critical supplies now in its seventh week,” OCHA said.

Odeh added: “This is the official Israeli policy: No food, no water, no aid for Gaza, while Israel takes more and more of the territory’s land.”