In a statement published yesterday, the Law Society said it shared the view set out by the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) last month.

Irish Legal News understands that the statement received unanimous support at the most recent meeting of the Law Society Council.

It says the “intentional starvation of the civilian population of Gaza is in breach of international law and defies the core principles of humanity and dignity” and is “explicitly recognised as a war crime under the Protocols to the Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court”.

“The Law Society calls on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to lift the blockade and ensure the entry of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza,” it adds.

The statement makes clear that the position of both the Law Society and the IBAHRI “is based on international law”.

It concludes: “The deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid, including food, water, and medical care to the civilian population in Gaza, half of whom are children, is a grave violation of international law.

“It is a crime and those found responsible must be held accountable in adherence to international law.

“The catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza must end. The rule of law must be upheld.

“In addition, the Law Society, along with the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, once again condemns the continued holding of hostages by Hamas and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.”

UN officials have warned of a dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, with widespread starvation and a growing likelihood of famine.

Around 55,000 pregnant women in Gaza are believed to be facing miscarriage, stillbirth and undernourished newborns as a result of food shortages.

More than 400 Palestinians have been killed near aid distribution sites since late May, either shot by Israeli soldiers, tanks and drones or by armed gangs.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday that there was a need for a “massive scale-up in food distributions” in order to “stabilise the situation, calm anxieties and rebuild the trust within communities that more food is coming”.