Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammed Shia al-Sudani on Wednesday said Israel's ongoing onslaught on the Gaza Strip is tantamount to "genocide."
The Iraqi premier met in Baghdad with Uzra Zeya, US undersecretary of state for civilian security, democracy, and human rights.
"What is happening in Gaza is unprecedented. It is a blatant violation of human rights, and amounts to genocide," al-Sudani said during the meeting as cited by a statement issued by his office.
He said most of the victims in Gaza are women and children, calling for exerting more efforts to halt the Israeli war against the Palestinians.
Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Palestinian enclave since a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7 which killed some 1,200 people.
More than 34,800 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and 78,400 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
