BPP Policy Platform 10: End the use of starvation as a weapon of war
Catherine Maunder, Britain Palestine Project Fellow
Each week over the summer a Britain Palestine Fellow, Catherine Maunder will be exploring the legal basis for further actions the UK could take against Israel. You can see the full list here:
Britain Palestine Project: Legal basis for further action against Israel
Britain Palestine Projects calls on the UK to act in compliance with international law and:
In the tenth and final post, and in the context of the IPC report confirming Famine in Gaza City and Notheren Gaza, Catherine explains the BPP demand for humanitarian access to Gaza and end the use of starvation as a weapon: Under Geneva Convention IV, Art. 59, occupying powers must allow rapid and unimpeded humanitarian relief for civilians. Additional Protocol I (1977) prohibits the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. UNSC Resolution 2417 (2018) reinforces this, condemning starvation as a method of combat. The UK should increase and further amplify its calls for full and immediate humanitarian access to Gaza and consider a significantly more aggressive sanctions policy if Israel continues to restrict aid to levels that ensure starvation.
The use of starvation as a method of warfare and the deliberate obstruction of humanitarian relief are among the most serious breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL). Under Geneva Convention IV (1949), Article 59, an occupying power is obligated to permit rapid and unimpeded humanitarian relief for civilian populations. Additional Protocol I (1977), Article 54, prohibits the starvation of civilians as a method of combat. UN Security Council Resolution 2417 (2018) reinforces these obligations, condemning starvation as a method of warfare and recognising conflict-induced food insecurity as a threat to international peace and security.
In Gaza, civilians are being subjected to severe restrictions on food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. The situation is the result of deliberate policies that amount to the weaponisation of starvation. To comply with its own international obligations, the UK must significantly increase its calls for full and immediate humanitarian access to Gaza and condemn starvation as a war crime.
1. The Prohibition on Starvation under International Humanitarian Law
The prohibition of starvation is firmly established in treaty law, customary law, and international jurisprudence.
Additional Protocol I, Article 54(1): “Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited.”
Article 54(2): prohibits attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects indispensable to civilian survival, such as water installations and crops.
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Art. 8(2)(b)(xxv)) codifies intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime.
These provisions recognise that depriving civilians of access to food and water undermines the most basic condition of human survival and cannot be justified under any circumstances.
2. Geneva Convention IV – Duty to Allow Relief
Article 59 of the Fourth Geneva Convention creates a positive duty for an occupying power to allow humanitarian relief when a population is inadequately provided for.
It states: “If the whole or part of the population of an occupied territory is inadequately supplied, the Occupying Power shall agree to relief schemes on behalf of the said population and shall facilitate them by all the means at its disposal.”
This obligation is unconditional and cannot be suspended for reasons of military necessity. By impeding humanitarian convoys, restricting entry of essential goods, and targeting infrastructure indispensable to survival, an occupying power commits a serious violation of the Convention.
3. UNSC Resolution 2417 (2018)
In Resolution 2417, the Security Council:
Condemned the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare;
Called on all parties to armed conflict to comply fully with international law regarding humanitarian access;
Recognised that obstructing humanitarian relief operations can constitute a threat to international peace and security.
As a permanent member of the Security Council, the UK bears particular responsibility for ensuring that this resolution is given effect. Silence or inaction risks rendering its commitment to Resolution 2417 meaningless.
4. The Situation in Gaza and UK Government Commentary
Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are facing catastrophic conditions of food insecurity and famine. The UN’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has already declared famine in parts of Gaza, with projections that more than 640,000 people will be affected by September 2025. Reports confirm that hundreds of children have died of malnutrition and dehydration, while attacks on bakeries, food convoys, water installations, and medical facilities have compounded the crisis.
Humanitarian agencies have described aid access as “virtually non-existent.” Convoys are routinely delayed, restricted, or attacked. This systematic deprivation cannot be regarded as incidental to hostilities: starvation is being deliberately weaponised as a tool of warfare, in direct violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention (Art. 59), Additional Protocol I (Art. 54), and the Rome Statute (Art. 8(2)(b)(xxv)).
The UK Government has repeatedly recognised the gravity of the situation in Gaza and issued urgent calls for full and unimpeded humanitarian access:
Committee Testimony (24 April 2025): The Government formally admitted to Parliament that Gaza aid blocks were “appalling and unacceptable.”
Parliamentary Statement (14 May 2025): The Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, condemned aid restrictions as “appalling,” noting that “tonnes of food are rotting at the Gaza/Israel border.” He stressed that humanitarian assistance “must never be used as a political tool or military tactic.”
Parliamentary Debate (4 June 2025): The Government demanded an investigation into the killing of civilians at aid sites, insisting that Israel must enable the UN and NGOs to deliver relief “safely and at scale.”
Foreign Secretary’s Address (21 July 2025): David Lammy described Israel’s aid system as “inhumane” and “a grotesque, cruel spectacle,” while announcing a £60 million UK humanitarian package to support food, water, healthcare, and UNRWA services. He repeated these sentiments in a Statement on 1st September.
Joint Statement (12 August 2025): Together with 26 other countries, the UK warned: “Famine is unfolding before our eyes. All crossings and routes must be used to allow a flood of aid into Gaza.” It demanded that lethal force not be used at aid distribution sites and that aid workers and civilians be protected.
In addition, the UK has consistently coordinated with international partners, issuing joint statements with France, Germany, and others, reaffirming that humanitarian access must be rapid, safe, and unconditional.
This rhetoric underscores the UK’s recognition that the denial of aid is not merely a humanitarian tragedy but an unlawful act under IHL, implicating the duty of all states to ensure respect for the Geneva Conventions and UNSC Resolution 2417.
In August 2025, the Israeli cabinet approved plans for a full military takeover of Gaza City. This escalation has intensified the humanitarian emergency, with hundreds of thousands at risk of famine amid ongoing bombardments and the effective closure of humanitarian corridors. The deliberate coupling of military assault with denial of aid highlights the use of starvation as a tool of warfare, further entrenching Israel’s violations of international law.
5. The UK’s Legal Duties
The UK is bound by several overlapping obligations:
Common Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions: to “respect and ensure respect” for the Conventions “in all circumstances.” This includes preventing violations by others and not rendering assistance to unlawful practices.
Duty of non-assistance under customary international law and the ICJ Namibia Advisory Opinion (1971): states must not recognise or assist situations created by serious breaches of peremptory norms.
Obligations under UNSC Resolution 2417: to condemn and act against starvation as a method of warfare.
Failure to act risks making the UK complicit in a grave breach of international humanitarian law.
6. Required Action
To discharge its obligations, the UK should:
Demand immediate, full, and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza through all crossings;
Publicly affirm that starvation of civilians constitutes a war crime under international law;
Suspend any bilateral cooperation that risks enabling or legitimising restrictions on aid;
Use its position on the Security Council and in other multilateral fora to pursue accountability for the use of starvation as a method of warfare.
7. Conclusion
The prohibition on starvation as a weapon of war is absolute. It is enshrined in the Geneva Conventions, Additional Protocol I, the Rome Statute, and UNSC Resolution 2417. The current situation in Gaza represents a textbook violation of these instruments.
The UK cannot limit itself to expressions of concern. It has a legal duty to act: to demand humanitarian access, condemn starvation, and ensure its policies do not contribute to this crime. Upholding international law requires urgent and decisive action.
Catherine Maunder, Britain Palestine Project Fellow, Legal Caseworker at Advocate, Gray's Inn Scholar, LLM (Cambridge) LLB (Cardiff)