Tel Aviv: In a statement released on Saturday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its position that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) do not target civilians in response to comments made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
“It is a calculated strategy to blame Israel for Hamas’s actions and the UN’s shortcomings,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry stated in a statement published on X. More than 46 million meals have been distributed by the GHF to Palestinian civilians, not Hamas, so far. However, the UN is making every effort to thwart this endeavor. By doing this, the UN is supporting Hamas, which is attempting to undermine the humanitarian efforts of the GHF.
It went on to say, “Anyone who says that the IDF never targets civilians is obviously lying. Hamas is responsible for the intentional killing of GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Fund) assistance workers, a crime the UN has never denounced, as well as for attacking people attempting to pick up supplies from the GHF.
In response to the remarks of UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
Blaming Israel for the UN’s failures and for Hamas’s deeds is a deliberate tactic.
The GHF has so far provided more than 46 million meals directly to Palestinian civilians, not to Hamas. Yet the UN is doing…— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 27, 2025
“The UN must now decide: Does it prefer to preserve its monopoly and a system that benefits Hamas — thereby prolonging the war — or is it interested in delivering humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza?” the Foreign Ministry said in its closing comments.
Israel’s statements follow the UN Secretary-General’s announcement that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza had escalated to “horrific proportions” and reiterated his need for an urgent ceasefire.
“People are being killed for simply trying to feed themselves and their families,” Guterres said in his remarks. Never should the pursuit of food be a cause of death.
“A trickle of aid is not enough; what is needed now is a surge,” he said in reference to the volume of supplies entering Gaza. The trickle has to turn into the ocean. To ensure that help reaches everyone, we must take decisive action.
“We don’t need a report of that nature to acknowledge that there have been messy violations of international law, and indeed, when there is a violation of international law, there must be accountability,” Guterres stated in response to claims that IDF troops were firing at civilians.
“To those in power, say, ‘Enable our operations as international humanitarian law demands,'” Guterres had said in his address. I advise people having power to take advantage of it. I urge all member nations to respect the UN Charter, which you reaffirmed yesterday in honor of its 80th anniversary. Let’s provide life-saving goods, meet people where they are, and acknowledge that politics is ultimately the answer to this issue. Opening the door to the two-state solution is the only long-term approach to restore optimism. Human decency and diplomacy must win out.
In a joint statement on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that personnel in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are under strict orders to protect civilians.
“The State of Israel absolutely rejects the contemptuous blood libels that have been published in the Ha’aretz newspaper, according to which ‘IDF Soldiers Ordered to Shoot Deliberately at Unarmed Gazans Waiting for Humanitarian Aid,'” said the statement released by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing almost 1,200 people and taking 251 captive. This sparked the battle in Gaza. Israel promised to annihilate Hamas in reaction to the strike.
