UN rights chief Volker Turk is “shocked and appalled” by comments by Israel’s finance minister suggesting it might be “justified” to starve the population of Gaza to free hostages, AFP reports.

The United Nations high commissioner for human rights “condemns these words in the strongest terms, which also incite hatred against innocent civilians”, his spokesman Jeremy Laurence told a press conference.

Turk’s spokesman told reporters that “the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime.

“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,” Laurence said.