The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk is “shocked and appalled” by “Israeli” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recent statements.

Smotrich said that it “might be justified and moral to let two million civilians in Gaza die of hunger until our hostages are returned.”

Turk’s spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said the UN human rights chief “condemns these words in the strongest terms, which also incite hatred against innocent civilians.”

“The starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime,” Laurence said in a press conference.

“This direct and public statement risks inciting other atrocity crimes. Such statements, especially by public officials, must cease immediately, they must be investigated and if found to amount to a crime, must be prosecuted and punished,” he added.

Smotrich also said at the time: “We are bringing aid [to Gaza] because there is no choice.”

“We can’t, in the current global reality, manage a war. 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.”

“But what can we do? We live today in a certain reality, we need international legitimacy for this war,” he added.

Smotrich reiterated the Jewish extremist right-wing call that “Israel” must regain control over the Gaza Strip, and said he opposes Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s view on the matter which opposes “Israeli” governance of Gaza.