Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has strongly rejected the United Nations’ declaration of famine in Gaza, calling it an “outright lie” and a “modern blood libel.”
The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) recently reported that around 500,000 people in Gaza are trapped in famine-like conditions. The report warned that by the end of September, more than 640,000 people will face “catastrophic” levels of food insecurity, the highest classification under IPC Phase 5. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 281 people have died from hunger, including 114 children.
Netanyahu dismissed the findings in a post on X, saying, “Israel has no policy of starvation. Israel has a policy of preventing starvation. The only ones deliberately starved in Gaza are the Israeli hostages. This is a modern blood libel, spreading like wildfire through prejudice.” The term “blood libel” refers to false historical accusations that Jewish people killed Christians to use their blood in religious rituals.
The Israeli leader also accused Hamas of orchestrating a “starvation campaign” to manipulate global opinion. Citing UN data, he said that in July, out of 1,012 aid trucks collected, only 10 reached warehouses, while the rest were looted before distribution.
Netanyahu admitted that there had been “temporary shortages” of aid reaching Gaza but claimed Israel had worked to overcome the problem through airdrops, maritime deliveries, safe transport routes, and aid distribution points run by American companies.
However, his statement did not address the 11-week blockade on aid deliveries that Israel imposed earlier this year after a ceasefire-hostage deal collapsed in March.
The UN and aid agencies have repeatedly warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where shortages of food, medicine, and clean water have raised fears of mass starvation.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
