A UN commissioner said Wednesday that Israel's announced plans to expand its war of extermination on the Gaza Strip "will not succeed" in achieving what it failed to achieve over the past 20 months, and will not lead to the release of all prisoners held in the Strip.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement that expanding the Israeli offensive on Gaza "will inevitably lead to further mass displacement, deaths and injuries among innocent civilians, and the destruction of what remains of the infrastructure," according to the UN News website.

He added, "There is no reason to believe that doubling down on military strategies, which have not led to a permanent solution for a year and eight months or to the release of all hostages (Israeli prisoners in Gaza), will succeed today."

Tel Aviv estimates that there are 59 Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip, 24 of whom are still alive. Meanwhile, more than 9,900 Palestinians are languishing in its prisons, suffering torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.

On Sunday, the Security Cabinet approved expanding the ongoing war of extermination in Gaza.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of his government's intention to occupy the besieged Gaza Strip, saying, "There is a plan to evacuate the population of Gaza."

** "War crime"

Volker stressed that "expanding the Israeli assault on Gaza will exacerbate the misery and suffering caused by the complete blockade on the entry of essential goods that has been in place for nearly nine weeks."

"The people of Gaza are already deprived of all life-saving necessities, especially food, as Israeli attacks continue on community kitchens and those trying to maintain a minimum of law and order," the UN official said.

He continued: "Any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare constitutes a war crime."

Since March 2, Israel has closed the Gaza Strip's crossings to the entry of food, relief, medical aid, and goods, causing a significant deterioration in the humanitarian situation for Palestinians, according to government, human rights, and international reports.

Israel has been blockading Gaza for 18 years, leaving approximately 1.5 million Palestinians out of a population of approximately 2.4 million homeless after their homes were destroyed in the war of extermination. The Strip is suffering from famine due to Tel Aviv's closure of the crossings to humanitarian aid.

"The only lasting solution to this crisis lies in full compliance with international law, including what the International Court of Justice stipulated in its 2024 Advisory Opinion and its orders on provisional measures," Türk said.

On March 28 and January 26, 2024, the International Court of Justice issued two sets of provisional measures requested by South Africa in a case accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

These measures include the unimpeded provision of essential services and much-needed humanitarian assistance, as well as medical supplies and care to Palestinians throughout Gaza.

On July 29, 2024, the Court also issued an advisory opinion in which it affirmed that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory was "illegal."

She stressed that international organizations, including the United Nations, are obligated not to recognize the situation arising from this illegal Israeli presence.