Turning to other developments and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s planned military takeover of Gaza City at a news conference for international media yesterday.
Netanyahu said the controversial operation, which faces tremendous internal and international opposition, was the fastest way to end the war.
“Contrary to false claims, this is the best way to end the war and the best way to end it speedily,” he said. “This is how we bring the war to an end.”
Netanyahu described Gaza City and the central camps in the besieged enclave as the “two remaining strongholds” of Hamas.
Starvation claim: Netanyahu also repeated his claim that there is no starvation crisis in Gaza, accusing international media outlets of spreading Hamas propaganda.
“Since the beginning of the war, Israel has let in close to 2 million tons of aid. I know of no other army that has enabled such aid to go to the civilian population in enemy territory,” the prime minister said. He blamed Hamas for food shortages and accused them of looting aid, saying, “They deliberately created a shortage of supplies.”
Some context: At least 217 Palestinians, including 100 children, have died of malnutrition since Israel launched its current military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund said on social media Sunday that the number of cases of malnourished children in Gaza is “staggering.” Nearly 12,000 kids were identified as acutely malnourished in July alone, according to UNICEF, which is “the highest monthly figure ever recorded.”
Disturbing images of the starvation crisis in Gaza have intensified global outcry in recent weeks over the Israeli government’s tight restrictions on the flow of food into the Palestinian enclave.
