Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hit back at claims that Israel is breaking international law in its war with the militant group Hamas, calling such arguments “hogwash”.
Asked on NBC’s Meet the Press about United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s argument that the “collective punishment” of Palestinians amounts to a war crime, Netanyahu said: “I can say that what the commission said is hogwash, because we’re – the main difference is – are you deliberately targeting civilians?
“No, we’re deliberately doing everything in our power to target the terrorists. And the civilians, as happens in any legitimate war, are sometimes what is called ‘collateral damage’,” Netanyahu said. “That’s a longer way of saying unintended victims. That’s clearly what Israel is doing.”
Israel has come under fire from humanitarian agencies and world leaders who argue that its bombardment of Gaza is trapping innocent civilians in the violence. Israel’s attacks, which have included air strikes, bombings and ground assaults in Gaza City, are in response to Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel on 7 October, which killed more than 1,200 people, including hundreds of civilians.
More than 11,070 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war broke out last month, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Netanyahu said Hamas’ actions in the conflict were “the opposite” of what Israel was doing.
“They are doing everything in their power to hurt their civilians. Because they want this ridiculous and wanton attack on Israel, this – and Israel’s legitimacy – to take root,” Netanyahu said. “And unfortunately, people are giving in. If we lose sight, you know, if we lose the moral clarity of supporting the force that is fighting the terrorists who are hiding behind civilians and blaming the victim for these attacks, the victim who is taking the just action to defend himself, then we’ll never be able to fight the terrorists”.
Israel has repeatedly warned civilians in northern Gaza to move south after ground attacks, but Hamas leaders have told civilians to stay in their homes while others lack the means to move south.
Netanyahu argued that Hamas “will always hide behind civilians and we’ll never be able to fight them”.