Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, issued a clarification on Thursday in response to an interview given by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu on Radio Kol Barama, in which he said that "we aren't supposed to deal with hunger in Gaza."
"The quotes attributed to Minister Eliyahu to the effect that the government of Israel is 'rushing towards Gaza being wiped out,' and that, 'we don’t have to be concerned about hunger in the Strip,' do not reflect the policy of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government. The exact opposite is true," said Leiter.
"Despite the enormous difficulties of providing humanitarian aid to the non-combatant population of Gaza, we have done so with determination and commitment. The PM has stated that, ‘There will be no starvation in Gaza. Period.’”
“The government’s objective has been to create a mechanism that will amply supply Gazans with the aid they need, BUT NOT THROUGH HAMAS. To provide aid through Hamas is to prolong the war,” Leiter stressed.
“The quotes attributed to Minister Eliyahu are wrong, foolish and totally unrepresentative of the government and people of Israel,” the Ambassador stated, adding, “Our objective is, and will remain, the total defeat of Hamas, which serves death and destruction, murder and mayhem, on Israelis and Gazans, while providing humanitarian assistance to non-combatant Gazans.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that Eliyahu “does not speak for the government I lead. He is not a member of the Security Cabinet that determines the conduct of the war. His views are his own. He opposed the hostage release agreement and chose to resign. This government’s policy is clear and united. His statements do not represent it.”
Minister Eliyahu had said in Thursday’s interview, "We are not racists and we are only fighting those who want to kill us."
He said that Gaza will become Jewish: "The government is charging on to erase Gaza, thank G-d we are erasing this evil. All of Gaza will be Jewish."
Eliyahu added that the campaign regarding allegations of famine in Gaza is part of a pressure campaign against Israel: "It's their campaign. They have a lot of trucks in Gaza; let the world take care of them.
"The British didn't feed the Nazis during the Second World War, and that's how a nation fights; we aren't supposed to deal with hunger in Gaza," he said.