Humanitarian and musician Bob Geldof has accused Israeli authorities of “lying” about the starvation crisis in Gaza, saying he is “not interested in what either of these sides are saying.”
Speaking in a television interview, Geldof sharply criticised the Israeli government’s position that famine in the region is a result of Hamas’s actions, calling it a “false equivalence.” He stated, “Benjamin Netanyahu lies, is a liar. The IDF are lying. They’re dangling food in front of starving, panicked, exhausted mothers.”
His comments come in direct response to statements made by an Israeli government spokesperson, who claimed that food shortages were “engineered by Hamas” and that aid was flowing into Gaza.
Geldof dismissed this claim, calling the aid distribution a “pantomime outfit” and alleging that people arriving to collect food were being “shot wantonly.” He cited reports that up to 1,000 people have died of starvation in the current month alone.
This perspective stands in stark contrast to the official Israeli stance. An Israeli security official said that “despite the false claims that are being spread, the State of Israel does not limit the number of humanitarian aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip.” The official instead pointed to “a significant decline in the collection of aid… by international aid organisations,” blaming the delays on groups like the UN.
The charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has also weighed in on the situation, warning that a quarter of young children and pregnant women in Gaza are now malnourished. The charity described the lack of food and water on the ground as “unconscionable” and said that rates of severe malnutrition in young children had trebled in recent weeks.
