Geneva, Switzerland (AFP)-The World Health Organization chief on Friday urged Israel to stop the “catastrophe” of people starving to death in Gaza, saying at least 370 people have died from malnutrition since the war began.

“This is a catastrophe that Israel could have prevented, and could stop at any time,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.

“Starvation of civilians as a method of war is a war crime that can never be tolerated: doing so in one conflict risks legitimising its use in future conflicts,” he said.

His comments came two weeks after the United Nations declared a famine in Gaza, blaming the “systematic obstruction” of humanitarian deliveries by Israel.

Israel has vehemently denied that its actions had caused famine in Gaza, insisting instead the territory was suffering from a “man-made shortage engineered by Hamas”.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reported Friday that 373 people, including 134 children, had died from starvation and malnutrition in the besieged Palestinian territory since the war there erupted in October 2023.

Tedros repeated the number and said that it included “more than 300 just in the past two months”.

“People are starving to death while the food that could save them sits on trucks a short distance away,” he lamented.

“The most intolerable part of this man-made disaster is that it could be stopped right now,” he said, questioning why Israel was allowing the situation to persist.

“The starvation of the people of Gaza will not make Israel safer, nor will it facilitate the release of the hostages,” he insisted.

The WHO chief also stressed that “where hunger goes, disease follows”.

“Lack of food and clean water and cramped living conditions are leaving people with weakened immune systems exposed to more disease,” he said.

He said that in the past month alone, more than 100 cases had been reported of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which can occur after other infection and lead to paralysis.

He also decried that there are currently more than 15,000 patients in Gaza in need of urgent specialised care who are awaiting evacuation.

“More than 700 people have died while waiting for medical evacuation, including almost 140 children,” he said.

“We call on the government of Israel to end this inhumane war,” Tedros said.

“If it will not, I call on its allies to use their influence to stop it.”