Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was under fire on Sunday amid reports of severe starvation in Gaza as deaths continue to rise.
Netanyahu’s decision to seize Gaza drew backlash government and from inside Israel.
At a press conference on Sunday, Netanyahu denied the reports of severe starvation in Gaza, saying they are being exaggerated.
“No one in Gaza would have survived after two years of war if Israel was implementing a starvation policy,” he claimed.
“Contrary to false claims, this is the best way to end the war and the best way to end it speedily,” he added.
Netanyahu defended the new military force, saying Israel had “no choice” but to “finish the job” and “defeat Hamas”.
“If we don’t do anything, we are not going to get them out,” he said. “The move I’m talking about has the possibility of getting them out.”
The plan was condemned by other Western governments as well as U.N. officials who said it would only deepen the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
“This is no longer a looming hunger crisis — this is starvation, pure and simple,” U.N. humanitarian coordination official Ramesh Rajasingham told the council.
The plan involves mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza. Netanyahu said around 75% of Gaza is already under Israeli military control.
Israel is facing international criticism for the starvation in Gaza and what U.N.-backed experts say is an unfolding famine.
According to local health officials, more than 61,000 Palestinians, including thousands of children, have been killed since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023.
