Israel's Ambassador: 'Can't Place All the Blame on One Side'

The famine in Gaza is critical, according to over 100 international aid organizations. However, Israel is not deliberately starving Gaza's population, claims Israel's ambassador to Sweden, Ziv Nevo Kulman.

"It's not fair to blame everything on Israel," he tells Expressen.

Expressen meets Ziv Nevo Kulman at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. The interview is preceded by rigorous security checks.

"There are people out there who aren't so nice," he says, glancing at the windows with drawn curtains.

Days before the interview, reports emerged of starving children and civilians in Gaza amidst Israel's war against Hamas. The WHO has confirmed that at least 21 children under five have died of starvation this year, and it is "clear that the starvation is man-made." Over 5,000 children of the same age are being treated for acute malnutrition, according to UNICEF.

One of the children affected by the famine is two-year-old Yazan. He hasn't eaten properly for two months and is skin and bones. The only word that comes out of his mouth is "food," his parents tell Expressen.

What do you think when you see these images?

"Of course, these images, and all other images of children suffering in war, are heartbreaking. But we must remember that this is a war, and it was started by Hamas. We didn't want this war. The war would end tomorrow if Hamas released the hostages and gave up power in Gaza."

Since March, Israel has blocked all forms of international aid from entering. Instead, food is delivered via the heavily criticized Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, GHF, whose distribution centers are only located in four places around the war-torn Gaza Strip. GHF is an American-Israeli organization.

Using starvation as a weapon during war constitutes a war crime, which both the UN and the EU have reiterated several times since the war in Gaza began, following Hamas's attack on October 7. According to Ziv Nevo Kulman, Israel is not guilty of war crimes.

"Unfortunately, there are cases of malnutrition in Gaza. But is it widespread famine, or a case of deliberate starvation? Absolutely not," he says, claiming that Israel is doing much to ensure aid reaches the country.

Shooting at Aid Stations: 'False'

Israel states that one of the reasons for stopping international aid to Gaza is that Hamas systematically steals supplies and food from aid organizations. On Friday, the US aid agency USAID stated that there is no evidence to suggest this is true.

Kulman disagrees.

"It's obvious that Hamas steals aid, sells it, and uses it as a tool against its own people."

In June, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an article stating that soldiers in the Israeli military, IDF, are ordered to shoot civilians queuing at food distribution centers in Gaza. According to the UN, over 1,000 people have been killed while trying to get food.

Ziv Nevo Kulman says he "can guarantee" that the IDF receives no orders to attack civilians.

"We are a free country with a free press, but that doesn't mean everything in the media is true."

But Haaretz is a reputable newspaper. Why would they lie about such a thing?

"You'd have to ask them. They do their job, we do ours. My job is to respond to these accusations, and I say they are false."

Critical of the EU: 'Only Benefits Hamas'

On Tuesday, the Swedish government released a statement along with 27 other countries. The statement calls for an end to the war in Gaza and for Israel to "immediately lift restrictions on the inflow of aid."

Ziv Nevo Kulman is critical of the statement.

"We have an ongoing discussion with the EU. The EU asked us to bring in more aid, and we have an agreement that we are implementing. Making more statements and accusations, which only point out Israel, only benefits Hamas."

The countries also demand that the hostages still held in Gaza be released.

"We condemn that they continue to be held captive and demand that they be released immediately and unconditionally. A negotiated ceasefire offers the best opportunity to bring them home and end their relatives' anguish."

Ziv Nevo Kulman, however, believes the statement does not place sufficiently clear demands on Hamas.

"If the EU wants to be relevant and treated as a fair actor, they can't place all the pressure on one side."

The Answer to the Urgent Question

Over 100 aid organizations joined in a similar statement this week, pleading for a return of aid to Gaza. According to the organizations, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are "trapped in a cycle of hope and despair, waiting for aid and a ceasefire, only to wake up to even worse conditions."

How urgent is it to stop the famine?

"It's a war zone. It's urgent to save the hostages. Would you like to see pictures of how they look right now? It's also urgent to ensure that Hamas is not part of the solution in the future, because then this will just repeat itself," says Ziv Nevo Kulman.