Western allies of Israel condemned the remarks of the country's far-right finance minister, who suggested that starving the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza "might be just and moral" until the hostages taken in the Hamas attack on October 7 are returned home.

The Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a speech on Monday that Israel has no choice but to send humanitarian aid to Gaza.

He stated at a conference supporting Jewish settlements: "It is not practically possible in today's real world to conduct a war - no one will allow us to starve two million people, although that might be just and moral until they return the hostages."

Smotrich, a key partner in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition, supports the reoccupation of Gaza, the rebuilding of Jewish settlements that were removed in 2005, and what he describes as the voluntary migration of large numbers of Palestinians out of the area.

The European Union condemned his statements on Wednesday, noting that "the deliberate starvation of civilians is a war crime."

Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, described these remarks as "more than shameful," saying "they once again show his contempt for international law and the fundamental principles of humanity."

David Lammy, the new UK Foreign Secretary, said, "Minister Smotrich's comments cannot be justified."

He posted on social media platform X: "We expect the broader Israeli government to retract these statements and condemn them."

The German Ambassador to Israel, Stephen Seibert, described the remarks as "unacceptable and horrifying."

He wrote on X: "Protecting civilians in war and granting them access to water and food is a principle of international law and humanity."

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also condemned Smotrich's remarks on Thursday, describing them as "shameful statements that are unacceptable in form and content" and a violation of international humanitarian law. The ministry added that such "irresponsible statements" incite against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The ongoing war triggered by the Hamas attack has pushed Gaza into a humanitarian disaster. The vast majority of its residents have been displaced within the besieged area, often multiple times, and hundreds of thousands are crammed into miserable tent camps. The leading international body on the severity of hunger crises, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, stated in June that Gaza is at "high risk" of famine.

Relief organizations say that efforts to deliver food and other assistance have been hindered by Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting, and the collapse of law and order. Israel claims that it allows unlimited humanitarian aid to enter, blaming UN agencies for failing to deliver it promptly.

The Hamas fighters killed around 1,200 people in the surprise attack on Israel that ignited the war and took approximately 250 hostages. About 110 hostages remain in Gaza, although Israel believes that about a third of them have died. Most of the remaining were released during a week-long ceasefire in November.

The ongoing Israeli assault has resulted in the deaths of around 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, and has caused widespread destruction.