Israeli PM Netanyahu on report declaring famine in Gaza: ‘A modern-day blood libel’

The UN’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on Friday published a severe report declaring that famine exists in Gaza City, with projections of expansion to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September. This is the most severe level of food insecurity in the index. Israel issued a harsh counter-report, arguing that the IPC report is unreliable, ignores data on humanitarian aid, and relies on biased information sources.

On Friday evening, ahead of Shabbat, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the report. In a statement released in English on the official 𝕏 page of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), he wrote that this was “a modern-day blood libel.”

“The IPC report is a complete lie,” Netanyahu argued. “Israel does not have a policy of famine. Israel has a policy of preventing famine. Since the start of the war, Israel has allowed the entry of two million tons of aid into the Gaza Strip – more than a ton of aid per person.”

The severe IPC report, which could increase pressure against Israel

According to the IPC, more than half a million people are already facing extreme hunger, characterized by widespread starvation and preventable deaths. Another 1.07 million residents – more than half the population – are defined as being in a severe emergency, and an additional 396,000 are in a food crisis.

The report presents data indicating the complete collapse of food, health, and basic infrastructure systems. 98% of agricultural lands have been destroyed or are inaccessible, livestock has been killed, fishing has been banned, and food storage infrastructure has been destroyed. According to the report, health and water systems are nonfunctional, leading to the spread of diseases among children: nearly half suffer from skin infections, 43% from diarrhea, and 58% from fever.

The report estimates that by June 2026, at least 132,000 children under the age of five will be at risk of death from acute malnutrition, along with some 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women who will require immediate assistance.

IPC experts warned that halting famine is a race against time. According to them, an immediate and unconditional ceasefire is essential to open aid corridors and enable a large-scale humanitarian response. Without dramatic steps to restore food, health, water, and infrastructure supplies, famine is expected to expand and deepen, bringing with it thousands more preventable deaths.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres responded to the IPC famine declaration in Gaza: “There is no mystery. This is a man-made disaster. A moral indictment and a failure of humanity itself. No more excuses – the time to act is not today, but now.”

“Relying on Hamas”: Israel’s counter-report

On Monday, the IDF's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj.-Gen. Ghassan Alian, published a sharp counter-report in response to the IPC report declaring famine in Gaza. According to him, the Israeli publication came as a “response to the biased accusations regarding the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.”

According to COGAT’s statement, the counter-report, prepared after a thorough review of the IPC’s claims in cooperation with professional bodies, points to severe factual and methodological gaps, reliance on biased and interested sources linked to Hamas, substantial inaccuracies, and changes in criteria that undermine the report’s credibility.

Main points of COGAT’s counter-report:

COGAT firmly rejects the claim that famine exists in the Gaza Strip, and particularly in Gaza City. According to them, previous IPC reports and assessments have repeatedly been proven inaccurate and do not reflect the reality on the ground. “The IPC report deliberately ignores the data provided to its authors in a meeting held before its publication, completely disregarding the efforts advanced in recent weeks to stabilize the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the report stated.

It further stated, “Like previous IPC reports and assessments regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza, this report ignores aid-entry data published by COGAT and the deliberate and cynical exploitation of aid by Hamas. The famine classification is based on unpublished phone surveys, questionable assessments by UNRWA – some of whose employees are Hamas operatives – and by local NGOs.”

COGAT continued to accuse, “All this, while generating wild speculation and distorting facts that not only undermine the IPC’s credibility but also reflect the same pattern we have seen since Oct. 7, when respected institutions and media outlets rushed to echo lies and false narratives against Israel.”

“In recent weeks, significant steps have been taken to expand the amount of aid entering the Gaza Strip,” the statement said, “as well as to ease the collection process from the crossings by UN agencies and international organizations. Since May, more than 10,000 aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip through the UN, international organizations, and the private sector – 80% of them containing food. These measures have led to a significant increase in the availability and accessibility of food across the Gaza Strip, a sharp drop in food prices in markets, and a marked improvement in availability for the population.”

COGAT attacked saying, “The IPC report’s blatant disregard of the ongoing increase in food, water, and medical aid supplies in the months it refers to, and especially in recent weeks, is unprofessional, undermines the credibility of its conclusions, and raises suspicion of political motives. Furthermore, COGAT’s counter-report warns that deliberate disregard and reliance on partial data create a false picture for the international community. Thus, the report is not only biased but also serves Hamas’ propaganda campaign and undermines the ability of international decision-makers to fully understand the situation in Gaza.”

Alian stated, “The IPC report is based on partial and unreliable sources, many linked to Hamas, and blatantly ignores the facts and the extensive humanitarian efforts led by Israel and its partners in the international community.”

The COGAT leader added, “Instead of providing a professional, neutral, and responsible assessment, the report adopts a biased approach riddled with severe methodological flaws, undermining its credibility and the trust the international community should have in it. We expect the international community to be responsible and not be swept up by false narratives and baseless propaganda, but to examine the full data and facts on the ground.”

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