Al-Azhar Al-Sharif condemned, on Monday, Israel’s prevention of aid from entering the Gaza Strip, stressing that it is “committing the crime of starving innocent children, women and men” and “not respecting the sanctity of the holy month.”

Al-Azhar said in a statement published on its account on the “X” platform that it condemns “the cowardly decision of the Israeli occupation to stop the entry of humanitarian and relief aid convoys into the Gaza Strip.”

He stressed that "the Israeli occupation, while committing the crime of starving innocent children, women and men, is devoid of all meanings of mercy and human values, and does not respect the sanctity of this holy month, the blessed month of Ramadan."

Al-Azhar stated in its statement that “preventing feeding those who are fasting is a crime condemned by all believers in God, His justice, and His painful punishment of criminals in this world and the hereafter.”

He stressed that "the silence of those who are able to stop these evils and those who support their perpetrators is a more heinous crime and a more severe punishment before God."

Al-Azhar called on "the governments of Islamic countries to use their diplomacy and politics to lift the oppressive siege on the hungry during the month of Ramadan."

He warned that this siege "aims to force the Palestinians to choose between starving to death or emigrating and evacuating the land of Gaza to this occupying entity."

He also stressed that "Islamic countries and the international community, free from Zionist pressures, must assume their historical and humanitarian responsibilities in stopping this immoral siege."

He urged them to "demand the opening of the crossings as soon as possible, facilitate the entry of relief and aid convoys, hold this occupying entity accountable for its crimes, and bring the war criminals - who committed the most heinous crimes in modern history - to account and trial."

Between October 7, 2023 and January 19, 2025, Israel, with American support, committed genocide in Gaza, leaving more than 160,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 14,000 missing.

Israel reneged on a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas on January 19, by refusing to move to its second phase, after the first phase ended at midnight last Saturday/Sunday.

Tel Aviv claimed that Hamas refuses to respond to a new American proposal for a temporary ceasefire during the month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday, and decided to stop the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza as of yesterday, Sunday.

While Hamas affirms its commitment to the agreement and demands that Israel be bound by it, and calls on the mediators to immediately begin negotiations for the second phase, it considered the decision to prevent aid "cheap blackmail, a war crime, and a blatant coup against the agreement."

Since the agreement came into effect, Israel has violated it more than 900 times, resulting in the deaths of 116 Palestinians and the injury of 490 others. It also did not abide by the humanitarian protocol, as it only allowed the entry of a very small amount of humanitarian aid, according to the government media office and the Ministry of Health in Gaza.