Amman, Aug 12 (Petra) – The Elders, a group of global leaders, warned on Tuesday of an “impending genocide” in Gaza, saying Israeli restrictions on humanitarian relief are causing famine.

According to AFP, the non-governmental group issued a statement after a delegation visited border crossings with Egypt, voicing “shock and outrage at Israel’s deliberate obstruction of life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza.”

“What we saw and heard confirms our personal conviction that Gaza is facing not only a man-made famine but also an impending genocide,” the statement said. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark urged Israel to open the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza to allow aid in, following her visit to the site. She said “many mothers are unable to feed themselves or their newborn babies, and the health system is collapsing.”

The statement said the delegation “saw evidence of food and medical supplies being blocked and heard eyewitness accounts of Palestinian civilians, including children, being killed while trying to access aid inside Gaza.”

The group, founded in 2007 by former South African President Nelson Mandela and based in London, also called for recognition of a Palestinian state, while noting that “this will not halt the impending genocide and famine” in Gaza. It urged an immediate suspension of arms and component transfers to Israel and called for sanctions on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

//Petra// AF
12/08/2025 22:18:21