The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for saying it may be “justified and moral” to starve Palestinians in Gaza.

In a statement on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry described Smotrich’s comments as an “explicit admission of adopting and bragging about the policy of genocide”.

“The Ministry further affirmed that such [a] statement is considered a direct disregard for international legitimacy decisions and international consensus on protecting civilians and securing their basic humanitarian needs,” the statement said, Al Jazeera reported.

“It called on the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant against Smotrich for approving and supporting the policy of genocide.”

The ministry also urged countries around the world to condemn Smotrich and ban him from entering their territory.

Israel has imposed a suffocating blockade on Gaza bringing the territory to the verge of starvation.