ISRAELI POLITICIAN: HUNGER & THIRST HELP RECRUIT COLLABORATORS

An Israeli politician made headlines when she said blockading the Gaza Strip, thereby starving Palestinians, would help Israel cultivate collaborators to gather intelligence. The Likud Party's Revital Gotliv shocked many with this 23 October speech to the Knesset, Israel's legislative body.

On 26 January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found it plausible that Israel's acts could amount to genocide and issued a provisional ruling, ordering Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocidal acts. That includes punishing incitement to commit genocide, ensuring aid and services reach Palestinians under siege in Gaza, and for Israel to report to the ICJ within a month on its progress.

Tel Aviv appears to have ignored the UN court's directive, continuing to throttle the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave. Israel has bombed Palestinians at the Rafah border crossing near Egypt, while Israeli protesters have blocked aid trucks. The death toll has also risen, with Israel now having killed almost 30,000 Palestinians since the 7 October escalation in the 75-year Palestine-Israel conflict. Meanwhile, 1.5 million people have been displaced, and over 70 per cent of housing has been destroyed.

What do you think of the Israeli lawmaker's remarks? Please share your thoughts in the comments.