Israeli government spokesman accuses UN of being ‘complicit partners in Hamas’ human shield strategy’
Increasingly visible spokesman levies harsh criticisms at international officials
The spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Eylon Levy, accused the United Nations of being complicit in Hamas’ strategy of using Gaza civilians as human shields.
In remarks to the press on Tuesday evening, Levy, whose profile has risen since the start of the war on Oct. 7, spoke sharply about the international community’s failure to hold Hamas accountable for war crimes.
Levy said Hamas has launched over 13,000 rockets since the war began, accusing Hamas of “deliberately targeting our civilians and sending millions running for bomb shelters.”
Regarding the hostages, Levy said that 22 of the 129 hostages still being held in Gaza have been killed, with Hamas continuing to hold their bodies captives.
According to Levy, around 2,000 rockets launched by terror groups from inside the Gaza Strip have fallen back into Gaza, causing damage and likely killing civilians. In previous conflicts, the IDF has estimated around 11-12% of all rockets launched from the Gaza Strip have fallen short, landing back into Gaza.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Authority does not report injuries or deaths from rockets launched by terror groups but attributes them to Israel.
In addition, Gaza's Ministry of Health does not differentiate between civilian deaths and the deaths of members of terror groups. It claims that around 21,000 Gazans have been killed since the start of the war. That number, which has not been independently verified, would include 8,000 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists killed while fighting against IDF troops.
In his press conference, Levy laid harsh criticism against “failed foreign policy orthodoxies” held by many nations and actors in the Middle East, saying they “have kept this conflict on life support, trapping us in a cycle of violence.”
He referred to the three prerequisites for peace that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote about in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal. Netanyahu wrote that the dismantling of Hamas’ authority, establishing security oversight to ensure that Gaza is no longer used as a base for terror attacks against Israel, and the deradicalization of the Palestinian Authority (PA) are all necessary preconditions for peace between Israel and Gaza.
Levy called on the international community to support those same three prerequisites for peace once the war is over.
However, Levy’s harshest criticism was directed at the UN for what he called its “deeply problematic involvement” in the conflict.
He said that international officials “have been deflecting blame onto Israel” rather than facing the truth that the UN is “covering up for Hamas.”
“In failing to condemn Hamas for hijacking aid and failing to condemn it for waging war out of hospitals, they have been complicit partners in Hamas’ human shield strategy,” Levy stated.
Israel is “demanding global accountability,” Levy added, and said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would no longer automatically grant visas to UN employees but would consider each case individually.
He also said that Israel would not work “with those who cooperate with the Hamas terror regimes' propaganda machine.”
He urged international allies to take similar steps to “stand up for the basic integrity of global institutions that should serve and not sabotage international security.”
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
