WASHINGTON
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday "strongly" condemned Israel's "use of collective punishment" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by cutting off electricity to the area.
"The Kingdom reaffirms its absolute rejection of Israel's violations of international humanitarian law," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza on Sunday, in the latest move to tighten a stifling blockade on the enclave despite a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.
It followed an Israeli decision last week to stop humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, prompting warnings from local and human rights groups of a return to widespread hunger for the Palestinian population.
"The Kingdom emphasizes its call on the international community to take urgent actions to immediately and unconditionally restore electricity and ensure the flow of aid to Gaza," the ministry said.
Saudi Arabia also renews its call to activate international accountability mechanism for these "blatant violations," it added.
Nearly 48,500 people have been killed, mostly women and children, in a brutal Israeli war on Gaza since October 2023. The onslaught was paused under the ceasefire and prisoner swap deal, which took hold in January.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his 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 for its war on the enclave.