UN Envoy: New Gaza Nutrition Data Refutes Claims of Deliberate Starvation

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has asserted that newly released data showing a sharp decline in child malnutrition in Gaza disproves wartime allegations that Israel intentionally starved the Palestinian population. He described those accusations as a "blood libel" rooted in figures provided by Hamas.

Danon’s remarks follow the publication of a UN-backed survey, the Gaza SMART nutrition assessment, which found that acute malnutrition rates among children under five have fallen to levels comparable to or even below those seen before the conflict began. The survey, coordinated by the UNICEF-led Nutrition Cluster and released on July 22, 2026, evaluated 1,335 children in areas covering roughly 83% of Gaza’s population. However, security and operational constraints prevented surveys in areas home to the remaining 17%.

The findings indicated acute malnutrition rates ranging from 0.2% to 0.8% based on weight-for-height measurements, and 1.3% according to mid-upper-arm circumference assessments. Evaluators concluded there was "no widespread acute malnutrition at population level," with rates significantly lower than those in neighboring countries, though challenges such as stunting and poor dietary diversity persist.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Danon

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Danon stated, "During the war in Gaza, Israel was accused by many countries and by many U.N. officials that we deliberately starved the population in Gaza. That was a blood libel." He added that when Israel challenged these claims, officials admitted they relied on Hamas-provided data. Danon argued that this latest survey undermines past starvation warnings, including those from senior UN humanitarian official Tom Fletcher, who in a 2025 BBC interview suggested 14,000 babies were at imminent risk of death without urgent aid. That figure was later clarified as an 11-month projection, but Danon called the assertion "false" and accused critics of using such narratives to spread "blood libels" against Israel.

The ambassador emphasized that Israel maintained records of all food deliveries into Gaza, controlling checkpoints and counting incoming trucks. "We know what they carry," he said, adding that there has never been a shortage of food entering the enclave. He also accused Hamas of diverting aid for profit, saying the group sold supplies at inflated prices. "We know for a fact that Hamas took the aid and sold it in the market," Danon said, stressing the need to work with NGOs not infiltrated by Hamas.

Danon reiterated Israel’s position that it has no desire to govern Gaza but insisted that lasting progress requires Hamas to disarm. "Unfortunately, Hamas took over and turned it into a terror state," he said. "Our vision remains unchanged: we have no desire to control Gaza. However, for progress to occur, Hamas must disarm and not move weapons from one warehouse to another." He concluded by noting that food prices in Gaza’s markets have dropped dramatically, which he called the clearest sign that there is no food shortage.