Washington, May 31 (RHC)-- A legal think tank focused on the global prevention of genocide has reiterated its condemnation of Israel’s use of “starvation as a weapon war,” pointing out that man-made famine is known as “genocide by attrition.”

The U.S.-based Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention said that engineering a famine to “weaken or destroy a group” is a genocidal act.  “We are devastated that innocent civilians, including thousands of children, have already lost their lives in a situation that has been – and continues to be – predictable and preventable,” the institute said on social media.

“We call on the international community to end the blockade of humanitarian aid entering into Gaza and to initiate a permanent ceasefire throughout Israel and Palestine.”