Netanyahu Condemns UN Famine Report as a ‘Modern Blood Libel’ Using Hamas Numbers
Israel sharply rejected a United Nations famine declaration in Gaza on Friday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the report “modern blood libel” that relied on Hamas sources.
The UN’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system said famine conditions have taken hold in northern Gaza, citing data from July and August that showed widespread hunger and acute malnutrition. The monitor estimated that 514,000 Gazans — nearly a quarter of the enclave’s population — are in famine, a number projected to rise to 641,000 by September. The IPC said thresholds for starvation and malnutrition had been reached, though it acknowledged difficulty in gathering mortality data.
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Netanyahu’s office dismissed the findings as “outright lies,” saying Israel’s policy is to prevent starvation, not cause it. The statement argued that the IPC ignored falling market prices for staples such as flour, oil, sugar, and chickpeas, which Israel attributed to steady aid flows. It also blamed Hamas theft and looting for preventing supplies from reaching civilians, citing UN figures that only 10 of more than 1,000 trucks in July reached distribution warehouses.
The Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) issued a counter-report, accusing the IPC of methodological manipulation. COGAT said the monitor abandoned its own global standard, lowering the threshold for famine from 30% malnutrition to 15%, and relied on data gathered by individuals affiliated with Hamas-linked groups.
COGAT highlighted Israel’s role in facilitating humanitarian aid, reporting that more than 10,000 trucks have entered Gaza since May and that the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has delivered over 2.2 million relief packages. “The international community must not be swept away by false narratives,” said COGAT head Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian. “It must examine the complete data and the facts on the ground.”
