Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has accused The New York Times of defaming Israel in its coverage of hunger in Gaza and is considering a lawsuit against the paper.
“The New York Times should be sued,” Netanyahu told Fox News on Thursday. “I am actually looking into whether a country can sue the New York Times … I think it’s such clear defamation.”
His comments target a July 24 Times story on Gaza’s food crisis that featured a prominent front-page photo of 18-month-old Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, described as emaciated and malnourished. The article quoted the boy’s mother saying he had been “born healthy.”
Subsequent reporting revealed the child also had cerebral palsy and complications from a genetic disorder — details not included in the original story or caption. Critics accused the paper of misleading readers into believing his condition was caused solely by Israeli policy.
Netanyahu threatens to sue New York Times over Gaza coverage exposing hunger and malnutrition in besieged enclave
On July 30, the Times appended an editor’s note clarifying his medical history and removing the mother’s statement. Netanyahu blasted the correction as “the size of a postage stamp” and said it failed to repair the damage.
“Israel is presented as though we are applying a campaign of starvation in Gaza. What a boldfaced lie,” Netanyahu said. “There is no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza.”
He claimed Israel has allowed humanitarian aid throughout the war, alleging shortages are caused by Hamas diverting supplies.
The Times defended its work, saying the update reflected new facts learned after publication and that its core reporting on Gaza’s humanitarian crisis remains accurate.
“Children in Gaza are malnourished and starving, as New York Times reporters and others have documented,” a spokesperson said, adding that Netanyahu’s criticism was part of “an increasingly common playbook” to pressure independent media.
The dispute comes amid ongoing reports from the UN and relief agencies warning of worsening hunger, shortages of clean water, and medicine in Gaza. Israel blames Hamas, while critics cite Israeli restrictions and military operations.
Pro-Israel groups and some U.S. lawmakers have sided with Netanyahu, accusing the Times of bias. Supporters of the paper argue that such attacks are meant to intimidate journalists and discourage critical coverage.
If Netanyahu pursues legal action, it would echo Ariel Sharon’s 1983 libel suit against Time magazine over its reporting on the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre. That case ended without damages after a jury found the statement false but not made with “actual malice.”
