Hamas has called the situation in Gaza a “catastrophic famine” as land crossings continue to be blocked by Israel despite international calls for the most effective routes to be reopened, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement, the Palestinian group said Israel has turned food into a “weapon of slow killing and aid into a tool of chaos and looting”.

“Most relief trucks are subjected to looting and attacks as part of a systematic policy pursued by the occupation. The sector needs more than 600 aid and fuel trucks daily to meet its minimum needs. What the occupation actually allows into the Gaza Strip represents only a small percentage,” Hamas said.

The group called on international organisations to expose Israel’s “starvation engineering” and reiterated that breaking the siege is the only solution to end the spiralling hunger crisis in Gaza.