How did Netanyahu try to obscure the signs of the starvation in Gaza?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared before the camera holding a piece of paper, with a screen behind him displaying images of three starving Gazan children suffering from hunger under siege. In his recorded speech, Netanyahu addressed these images one by one, attempting to twist the meaning and deny the reality of famine documented by Palestinian and international reports and testimonies.

This speech was not an exception, but an extension of an escalating Israeli campaign aimed at denying and refuting any narrative that links the siege to famine in Gaza. The images that Netanyahu labeled as "Fake" conceal real tragedies of families who have lost children to weight loss and weakness due to hunger, yet Netanyahu attributed their suffering to genetic diseases.

The "Al Jazeera Investigates" team followed up on these claims and revealed – through evidence and official documents – the full facts behind each child's story, allowing the true picture to emerge, far from the narrative of Israeli propaganda.

Osama Al-Raqab began Netanyahu's remarks, as he read from a paper in front of him, stating that the Gazan child Osama Al-Raqab was suffering from genetic health issues. However, scrutiny of the matter debunked this narrative, as research into the child's condition showed medical documentation confirming that Osama did not suffer from any hereditary disease, and that the deterioration of his health was due to a lack of food.

On June 12, Osama was evacuated to a hospital in Italy for treatment after his body had turned into a skeleton due to severe malnutrition resulting from the ongoing war and the closure of crossings.

In the same recorded speech, Netanyahu claimed that another child named Abdul Qadir Al-Fayoumi was suffering from genetic neurological problems, but the research conducted by the "Al Jazeera Investigates" team revealed contradictions in this narrative; sources at the Baptist Hospital in Gaza confirmed that the child died due to hunger and malnutrition.

Continuing with his claims, Netanyahu presented a picture of the child Muhammad Zakariya Ayoub Al-Matouq, alleging that he suffered from a hereditary issue, but our team reviewed the child's file at the outpatient clinics of Al-Rantisi Hospital, and it became clear that the child was suffering from severe malnutrition during the war.

The child's mother also confirmed that her son was living normally before suffering from malnutrition, noting that his weight had significantly decreased due to the war.

Netanyahu did not stop at accusing Gazans of fabricating scenes of hunger, but claimed that Israel recently allowed tons of humanitarian aid to enter, yet verification showed that the image he presented was published months before the peak of the starvation catastrophe.

In the context of discussing the accumulation of aid, UNRWA confirmed that the occupation authorities have complete control over the entry and exit crossings, which hinders their ability to deliver food and medicine to Gaza.