The Hamas response to Netanyahu on Sunday reaffirmed the Israeli occupation prime minister’s recent statements as “a desperate attempt to absolve the Zionist entity and its army of genocide and starvation crimes that claimed the lives of more than 18,000 children.”

The movement cited dozens of UN and international reports documenting genocide accusations, calling Netanyahu’s rhetoric a continuation of misleading narratives to justify war crimes and invert the truth.

Hamas said Netanyahu’s use of the term “liberation” was an attempt to distort the legal reality of occupation under international law. It called his claim of “not wanting to occupy Gaza” mere deception aimed at concealing plans for forced displacement, destruction of essential infrastructure, and installing a proxy authority.

Exploiting the captives' file

The movement accused Netanyahu of using the Israeli captives as a pretext for continued aggression while ignoring his army’s role in killing dozens of them and violating the January ceasefire agreement.

Hamas recalled that Netanyahu withdrew from the last round of negotiations, which was close to securing a prisoner exchange, stressing that only ending the aggression and reaching an agreement could safeguard captives’ lives.

Gaza starvation and humanitarian needs

Hamas rejected Netanyahu’s claim of bringing two million tons of aid into Gaza, saying it did not absolve him from responsibility for the Gaza starvation crisis that has killed 217 people, including 100 children.

The group noted that aid deliveries amount to less than 10% of the Strip’s humanitarian needs and criticized the continued use of the “inhumane Gaza institution” for aid distribution, referring to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, where around 1,800 Palestinians have been killed.

Media blackout amid attacks on journalists

Addressing Gaza foreign media access, Hamas said the occupation’s crimes are exposed by field realities and reports from international media demanding entry to Gaza.

It also recalled the Israeli targeting and murders of over 260 Palestinian journalists, making the war the deadliest for media workers globally, and challenged the occupation to allow unfettered access for international journalists.

Hamas calls for international action 

In conclusion, Hamas said the UN and all relevant states and institutions face a moral and legal test to act immediately to halt the aggression, lift the siege, and ensure safe and full humanitarian access across Gaza. It called for holding occupation leaders accountable for Israeli war crimes in Gaza, rejecting Netanyahu’s “lies,” opening all crossings, ending the war, and protecting civilians.

Since October 7, 2023, “Israel” has waged a war on Gaza that has killed 61,430 people and injured 153,213, including 1,778 killed and over 12,894 injured while seeking aid, and 217, among them 100 children, who died from hunger and malnutrition.

Read more: Netanyahu's Gaza remarks undermine ceasefire efforts: Hamas