THE United Nations children’s agency hit out today at the world’s “shocking inaction” to avert a looming famine in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Israel condemned South Africa after Pretoria called on the International Court of Justice to issue emergency orders to prevent starvation.

Unicef regional director Adele Khodr called for aid supplies to be allowed into Gaza without delay.

Posting on social media site X, she said: “The world’s inaction is shocking as more children succumb to a slow death. All border crossings must open now to allow unfettered access of humanitarian aid.”

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk warned that Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid for Gaza could amount to a war crime.

“Israel, as the occupying power, has the obligation to ensure the provision of food and medical care to the population commensurate with their needs and to facilitate the work of humanitarian organisations to deliver that assistance,” said Jeremy Laurence, a spokesman for Mr Turk.

On Monday, a damning report by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said that food insecurity in north Gaza had probably already exceeded famine levels and that more hunger-related deaths were likely.

Mr Turk said the crisis was “human-made” and “entirely preventable.”

He added: “Everyone must insist that Israel acts to facilitate the unimpeded entry and distribution of needed humanitarian assistance and commercial goods to end starvation and avert all risk of famine.

“There needs to be full restoration of essential services, including the supply of food, water, electricity and fuel.”

According to UN Food and Agriculture Organisation deputy director-general Beth Bechdol, 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza — about half of the population — are currently categorised at level five, meaning a catastrophe possibly leading to famine.

“People are starving,” she stressed.

In The Hague, Israel urged the top UN court to reject the latest request by South Africa for interim orders to prevent starvation in Gaza, part of a case accusing Israel of breaching the Genocide Convention with its military offensive against Hamas.

In a written response, Israel asserted that statements made by South Africa in its request filed earlier this month were “wholly unfounded in fact and law, morally repugnant  and represent an abuse both of the Genocide Convention and of the court itself.”

Israel denies that its military campaign in Gaza breaches the convention. 

The Gaza Health Ministry puts the Palestinian death toll at more than 31,726 since the current violence began on October 7.