UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has slammed the international community for turning a blind eye to widespread starvation in the Gaza Strip, calling it a “moral crisis that challenges the global conscience”, AFP reports.

“I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community — the lack of compassion, the lack of truth, the lack of humanity,” Guterres told Amnesty International’s global assembly via video link.

“This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience. We will continue to speak out at every opportunity.”

Guterres said while he had repeatedly condemned the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which triggered Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory, “nothing can justify the explosion of death and destruction since”.

“The scale and scope is beyond anything we have seen in recent times,” he said.