|
Trending Topics
|
Source: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/aug/14/gaza-starvation-claims-serve-hamas-civilians/
Gaza "Starvation" Claims Serve Hamas, Not Civilians
(Washington Times) Maj. Avi Tal - A coordinated effort has emerged across Palestinian, Arab and international media seeking to pressure Israel diplomatically by distorting the genuine hardship faced by the Palestinian population of Gaza. Yet the difficulties in Gaza stem largely from failures on the part of Hamas and international aid organizations in the distribution of food and aid supplies. The primary goal of this campaign is to establish the narrative that Israel is deliberately starving civilians. It absolves Hamas of responsibility for civilian suffering while shifting blame entirely to Israel. It diverts attention from Hamas's role in blocking hostage negotiations and maintaining the conflict. It also creates cover for Hamas to rebuild its capabilities under the cover of humanitarian aid and lulls in the fighting. At the same time, Hamas is genuinely starving the Israeli hostages as it broadcast to the world in its video of a skeletal Evyatar David being forced to dig his own grave. The narrative of civilian suffering has taken hold regardless of reality on the ground, demonstrating how effective messaging can override factual reporting. Western governments' immediate acceptance of the starvation allegations, without apparent verification, suggests a concerning susceptibility to information warfare. The starvation narrative may resonate powerfully in Western capitals, but its primary beneficiary is Hamas, which must bear the blame for the suffering of Gaza's civilian population. The writer, a researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, served with the IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories as an adviser on Arab affairs.