A U.N.-backed Gaza survey of 1,335 children under 5 found acute malnutrition at 0.2%-0.8% by weight-for-height and 1.3% by arm-circumference measures, with evaluators reporting no population-wide acute malnutrition.
Danny Danon said those findings undercut wartime accusations that Israel deliberately starved Gazans, arguing earlier claims relied on Hamas-supplied figures and calling them a "blood libel."
The survey covered areas containing about 83% of Gaza's population, while 17% could not be assessed because of security and operational limits; evaluators still noted lingering stunting, poor diet diversity and illness.
Danon also attacked a 2025 warning that 14,000 babies could die within 48 hours, saying the figure was later clarified as an 11-month projection for children at risk of severe malnutrition.
Israel says truck records and falling Gaza market prices show food has entered the enclave, while blaming Hamas for diverting aid and insisting any broader postwar progress requires the group to disarm.