According to the UN human rights chief, Israel's comprehensive blockade of the Gaza Strip, which deprives Palestinians of necessities for living, is prohibited by international law.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged all parties to defuse the "explosive powder keg situation," saying that people's dignity and lives must be respected.
In its unexpected weekend attack on Israel, the Palestinian militant group Hamas kidnapped roughly 150 individuals and threatened to murder the hostages if Israeli airstrikes continued "targeting" Gaza residents without warning.
The threat comes after Israel completely cut off food, water, and energy supplies to the Gaza Strip on Monday, raising concerns about a deteriorating humanitarian situation.
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"International humanitarian law is clear: the obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects remains applicable throughout the attacks," Turk said in a statement.
According to the statement, the siege runs the grave risk of making the already dismal human rights and humanitarian situation in Gaza even worse, including the ability of medical institutions to function. This is especially true given the rising number of injured people.
"The imposition of sieges that endanger the lives of civilians by depriving them of goods essential for their survival is prohibited under international humanitarian law," Turk stated.
The statement further said that any restrictions on the movement of people and things to carry out a siege must be justified by military necessity, or else they may amount to collective punishment.
