Netanyahu defends Gaza city attack despite UN criticism
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended his government’s plan to take control of Gaza City, rejecting mounting international criticism and insisting the move is the best way to end the war and secure the release of hostages.
Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem on Sunday, Netanyahu said the planned operation would move fairly quickly and free Gaza from Hamas.
He denied allegations that Israel is starving Gaza’s civilian population, claiming that Israeli hostages held by Hamas are the only ones being deliberately starved.
The remarks came as Israel faced sharp rebuke at an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting.
The United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia urged Israel to reverse the plan, warning it could violate international humanitarian law, do little to secure the hostages’ release, and put their lives at greater risk.
China denounced the collective punishment of Gaza’s residents, while Russia cautioned against a reckless intensification of hostilities. UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca warned the plan would likely trigger another calamity in Gaza, leading to mass displacement and further destruction. Ramesh Rajasingham of the UN’s humanitarian office said Gaza’s hunger crisis had escalated into starvation, pure and simple.
The United States stood by Israel. Ambassador Dorothy Shea said Washington was working tirelessly to free hostages and bring an end to the conflict, insisting the war could end today if Hamas let the hostages go. She rejected accusations of genocide against Israel as demonstrably false.
Protests erupted across Israel over the weekend, with demonstrators voicing fears that the operation would endanger the lives of the remaining 20 hostages believed to be alive.
Netanyahu outlined orders for the Israel Defense Forces to dismantle two Hamas strongholds, one in Gaza City and another in the al-Mawasi area. He also announced a three-step aid plan, including safe corridors for humanitarian deliveries, expanded airdrops, and increased food distribution points run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The UN says 1,373 Palestinians have been killed seeking food since GHF began operating in late May, a figure Netanyahu attributed to Hamas violently looting aid trucks and firing on civilians.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reports that more than 61,000 people have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in 2023, following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. At least 217 deaths in Gaza have been attributed to starvation and malnutrition, with five more reported since Saturday.
Despite the mounting diplomatic backlash, Netanyahu maintains that pressing forward with the Gaza City operation is essential to defeating Hamas and bringing the hostages home.
