Israeli institutions and official figures have consistently denied the existence of famine and acute food shortages in the Gaza Strip—a position echoed by the Hebrew media, which either ignored or downplayed reports from international organizations and global outlets confirming the worsening humanitarian conditions and widespread hunger among civilians.
But in early August 2025, Hamas’s military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, released a video of Israeli captive Avitar David, in which he appeared emaciated and showing clear signs of starvation. The footage raised the question: Has Israel’s narrative on famine in Gaza shifted?
Before the Recording of Avitar David
Israel’s official stance, prior to the release of the video, was an absolute denial of famine or a food crisis in Gaza. Authorities insisted that humanitarian aid flowed “in sufficient and regular quantities” and blamed Hamas for allegedly seizing and hoarding the aid.
From the highest level, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed claims that Israel was carrying out a “starvation campaign in Gaza” as a “bold lie.” He insisted that Israel had continuously allowed humanitarian aid to enter during the war, and argued that Hamas was solely responsible for obstructing its distribution.
Similarly, Abdullah Halabi, head of the Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza, asserted that the amount of aid entering the Strip “meets and even exceeds international standards,” describing reports of starvation as “a propaganda campaign run by Hamas to undermine Israel’s humanitarian efforts.”
Far-right Knesset member Almog Cohen bluntly stated: “I have no sympathy for the children in Gaza, and they don’t matter to me at all.” He called reports of children dying from hunger “a big lie,” claiming Israel was sending “massive amounts of food” into Gaza. He dismissed such reports as “a Bollywood-style propaganda industry, shamelessly fabricated.”
The Hebrew media largely adopted the official narrative. For instance, Channel 14 aired images shared by Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee, portraying Hamas fighters “eating heartily in tunnels,” as supposed proof against the famine claims. In a July 31, 2025 report, the channel labeled these as “documents refuting the famine lie in Gaza.”
Similarly, Ynet repeated the army’s line on 22 July 2025, claiming Hamas fabricated videos about famine and insisting that children in Gaza were suffering from illnesses unrelated to malnutrition. While the outlet briefly acknowledged international media reports about Israeli forces firing on Gazans seeking humanitarian aid, it framed these references as unreliable by stressing they relied on “the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza.”
In contrast, Haaretz published a sharply worded editorial on 24 July 2025, titled “Israel is Starving Gaza.” The piece cited Gaza’s Ministry of Health, which reported 111 deaths from malnutrition since the start of the war—most of them children, including 43 in a single week—as well as UN data showing rates of severe acute malnutrition among children rising from 2.4% in February to 8.8% by mid-July. The editorial described starvation as a “new phase of inhuman cruelty” and a “war crime and a crime against humanity,” calling for the immediate opening of crossings to food and medicine.
After the Recording of Avitar David
The video of Avitar David marked a turning point. Israel’s discourse shifted from outright denial of famine in Gaza to a partial acknowledgment—but one limited strictly to its own captives. The government accused Hamas of starving Israeli prisoners, while continuing to deny famine among Palestinian civilians.
The recording triggered a visible split within Israel. Some commentators maintained the denial, while others conceded the famine’s existence. Channel 13 correspondent Moriah Asraf tweeted on 1 August 2025, that the video revealed “what real hunger looks like.”
In an 5 August 2025 op-ed for Ynet, journalist Daniela London Dekel likened the famine debate to “Schrödinger’s cat”—existing and not existing at the same time, depending on perspective. She argued that Israeli responses to famine reports fall into three camps: shock, denial, or “let them die.” She warned that collective punishment is neither moral nor strategically useful.
Leaks from Channel 12 revealed internal directives to avoid coverage of Gaza’s hunger, while AI-generated content was reportedly being used to produce misleading narratives.
Political analyst Amit Segal epitomized this contradiction. On 24 July 2025, he warned Gaza might be heading toward a “real hunger crisis,” citing dramatic wartime price spikes. Yet after the video’s release, on 1 August, he reversed his position, claiming: “The first person from Gaza truly documented as starving is an Israeli captive,” accusing Hamas of starving its prisoners.
Others, such as journalist Yinon Magal and MK Oded Forer, echoed this narrative—asserting that hunger exists only for Israeli captives, not Gazans, and blaming Hamas for hoarding aid.
The Reality on the Ground
Meanwhile, international organizations continued to sound the alarm. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described the surpassing of 100 child deaths from malnutrition in Gaza as a “catastrophic milestone staining the conscience of the world.”
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq warned on August 8, 2025, that acute malnutrition rates among Gaza’s children had reached “unprecedented levels.”
On 18 August 2025, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported 263 famine-related deaths, including 112 children. The Gaza Government Media Office noted that only 14% of the aid actually needed was entering the Strip, with Israel blocking adequate deliveries while Gaza required over 600 trucks daily to meet minimal needs.
According to a statement issued by the Government Media Office in Gaza on 11 August 2025, only 14% of the actual humanitarian needs have been met by the aid trucks that entered the Strip. The statement noted that “the occupation prevents the entry of sufficient quantities of aid trucks, continues to close crossings, and undermines the work of humanitarian organizations.”
The office pointed out that Gaza’s daily need exceeds 600 aid trucks to meet the minimum requirements of its population.
Meanwhile, Israeli discourse seeks to reshape the narrative of Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, framing it solely around the issue of Israeli captives. This is aimed at redirecting international sympathy and justifying the continuation of the blockade and military escalation, while obscuring the suffering of Palestinian civilians, who face severe food shortages and deprivation of the most basic necessities of life.
Despite repeated warnings from the United Nations and human rights organizations, the aid that is allowed to enter covers only a fraction of actual needs, further worsening the crisis. The consequences fall most heavily on the most vulnerable groups, particularly children, patients, and the elderly.
