As the war of words over Gaza intensifies, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued one of his most forceful rebuttals yet to accusations that his government is committing genocide.
Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu dismissed claims that Israel is deliberately starving civilians in the Strip — saying that if genocide had truly been the goal, “it would have taken exactly one afternoon.”
The comments come as Israel pushes deeper into Gaza City in a fresh military offensive aimed, according to Netanyahu, at defeating Hamas.
But the operation has drawn sharp condemnation from the United Nations and even some of Israel’s closest allies, who warn it could trigger “another calamity in Gaza.”
Netanyahu Rejects Starvation Policy Allegations
Standing before reporters, Netanyahu was adamant that the idea of a state-led starvation policy was simply untrue.
“There is no starvation. There hasn’t been starvation.
There was a shortage. And certainly, there was no policy of starvation,” he said.
He argued that if such a policy existed, “two million Gazans wouldn’t be living today after 20 months.”
Humanitarian organisations, however, have painted a very different picture — warning of an “imminent famine” in the territory.
Aid Access and Accusations Against Hamas
Netanyahu also took aim at claims that humanitarian aid had been fully cut off.
He insisted Israel never intended to block all supplies, but rather to stop shipments from being seized by Hamas.
He accused Hamas of taking “the vast majority” of aid, selling what remained at “extortionate prices” to the Palestinian population.
Back in March, Israel did seal all humanitarian aid routes, demanding that Hamas agree to a U.S.-backed ceasefire extension.
The move, Netanyahu argued at the time, was necessary to prevent Hamas from profiting from relief supplies.
After weeks of international pressure, limited aid was allowed through.
By July, the Israel Defence Forces announced new humanitarian corridors and brief “local tactical pauses” in fighting so food and medicine could be delivered.
Tense Call With Trump Over Starvation Claims
Behind the scenes, tensions have flared with Washington.
Last week, reports emerged of a heated phone call between Netanyahu and former U.S. president Donald Trump.
Sources claim Trump angrily cut Netanyahu off after hearing his denial of widespread starvation in Gaza, saying his own aides had shown him evidence that many children were starving.
Netanyahu’s office has flatly denied that the exchange took place, dismissing the story as “fake news.”
Journalist Killed in Airstrike Sparks Outrage
Netanyahu’s rejection of genocide accusations came just hours after a deadly airstrike killed Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, 28, along with several colleagues outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Al Jazeera said the journalists were in a tent used by media crews when it was hit.
The IDF claimed al-Sharif was a Hamas operative leading a “terrorist cell” involved in rocket attacks — allegations that remain unverified and strongly denied by the network.
Local journalists acknowledged al-Sharif had once worked with a Hamas-run communications office earlier in his career, but press freedom groups and the UN human rights agency have condemned the strike, warning it may constitute a serious breach of international humanitarian law.
Mourning in Gaza and Global Condemnation
On Monday, Gazans gathered to mourn al-Sharif and the four other journalists killed in the same strike.
International media organisations and press freedom advocates have issued statements of condemnation.
A posthumous message left by al-Sharif, written in case of his death, urged the world “not to forget Gaza” and accused those responsible of silencing him.
Netanyahu’s Plan to Seize Remaining Gaza Territories
Looking ahead, Netanyahu vowed to take control of the remaining parts of Gaza, including much of Gaza City and Al-Mawasi — an area Israel had previously designated as a safe zone but which is now overflowing with displaced Palestinians.
The announcement has sparked further diplomatic fallout.
Germany has suspended some arms exports to Israel, while Australia has joined other Western nations in formally recognising a Palestinian state.
The Toll of the Conflict
According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, at least 61,499 people have been killed since Israel’s military campaign began — figures the United Nations considers credible.
The war traces back to Hamas’s October 2023 assault on Israel, which left 1,219 people dead, based on AFP tallies from official sources.
