Israel refuses to renew visa of UN official over criticism of Gaza starvation policy

Israel has declined to renew the residency visa of Jonathan Whittall, the senior UN humanitarian official in the occupied Palestinian territories, over his criticism of Tel Aviv's starvation policy in the Gaza Strip, UN officials said Sunday.

Whittall, who heads the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the region, will be forced to leave the country by the end of August, according to multiple reports and UN sources.

He resides in Jerusalem and regularly travels to Gaza as part of his duties.

The move marks the latest in a series of restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on international humanitarian staff working in the occupied territories.

According to local reports, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar personally ordered that Whittall's visa not be renewed.

UN spokesperson Eri Kaneko confirmed the development, noting that Israeli authorities had "informed us that Whittall's visa would not be renewed."

She added that recent months have seen "a clear pattern of reduced visa durations and increased denials of entry for UN personnel," including rejections of access requests to Gaza and restrictions on Palestinian staff trying to enter East Jerusalem.

The Israeli decision followed public remarks by Whittall in which he harshly criticized Israel's actions in Gaza, describing the humanitarian conditions near US-run aid distribution sites as "created to kill," and accusing Israel of pursuing a "death sentence" for Palestinians attempting to survive.

In statements, Whittall said the crisis in Gaza is not the result of neglect, but of deliberate choices. He said the humanitarian system is being systematically dismantled, and hunger is being used as a weapon.

Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza. The relentless bombing has destroyed the enclave, nearly collapsed its health system, and created famine-like conditions.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.