The European Union has strongly condemned recent statements by extremist Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said that “killing and starving two million people in Gaza can be justified, but the world will not let us do it.”

The European Union stressed in a press statement on Wednesday that "the deliberate starvation of civilians is a war crime," and that "Smotrich's claim that it might be justified and moral to allow Israel to cause the death of two million civilians from hunger is deeply shameful. It once again shows his contempt for international law and the basic principles of humanity."

The European Union expected the Israeli government to "distance itself unequivocally from Smotrich's statements, and to provide a full report on the reported acts of torture in Sde Teiman prison."

He stressed his continued urging of Israel to implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the binding orders issued by the International Court of Justice, and to ensure full and unhindered access for humanitarian aid to cover the needs of dozens of civilians, including hundreds of thousands of children, who live in extremely dire conditions and are exposed to famine and disease in Gaza, reiterating his call for an immediate ceasefire.