Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich suggested starving the entire Gaza Strip to death could be “justified.” He told a conference, “Nobody will let us cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned.” Smotrich also repeated the Israeli government’s goal of “removing the threat” of Palestinian statehood.

The U.N. reported child malnutrition in the Gaza Strip jumped nearly 50% in July over the previous month due to Israel’s relentless attacks and total blockade.