Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused The New York Times of defamation over its coverage of starvation in Gaza, focusing on a front-page photo of an emaciated child that the paper later admitted was misleading.
“The New York Times should be sued,” Netanyahu told Fox News’ Bill Hemmer in an exclusive interview Thursday.
“I’m actually exploring whether a country can sue The New York Times, and I’m looking into it right now, because I believe this is clear defamation.”
Netanyahu’s criticism centers on a photo used in a Times article titled, “Young, Old and Sick Starve to Death in Gaza: ‘There Is Nothing.’” The image showed a young boy cradled by his mother, his ribs and spine visibly protruding. The story aimed to highlight the escalating humanitarian crisis in the conflict-ravaged region.
On Friday morning, the controversy erupted when the heartbreaking photo of the severely malnourished child appeared on the Times front page with a somber headline. Days later, the newspaper issued a correction acknowledging that the child suffered from a preexisting medical condition affecting his appearance — a fact that was not mentioned in the original article or caption.
“I mean, they put a picture of a child supposed to represent all these starving kids, but…” Netanyahu said. “They used a picture of a child who has cerebral palsy.”
The Times correction explained that after publication, they were informed by the boy’s doctor about his health issues. The paper stated, “Had The Times known this before publication, it would have been included in the article and the picture caption.”
However, Netanyahu dismissed the correction as inadequate.
“They put this out,” he said, “then they bury a tiny denial in the back pages.”
A spokesperson for The New York Times told Fox News Digital that Netanyahu’s lawsuit threat is an “increasingly common playbook” but insisted their journalists will continue reporting on the Gaza conflict.
“Children in Gaza are malnourished and starving, as New York Times reporters and others have documented. Mr. Netanyahu is referring to an update we made to a story about how the food crisis is affecting civilians. After publication, we learned that the child shown — besides being severely malnourished — also had pre-existing health problems. This gave readers a fuller understanding of his situation,” the spokesperson said. “Attempts to threaten independent media providing vital information and accountability are unfortunately a familiar tactic, but our journalists continue reporting from Gaza bravely and sensitively, despite personal risk, so readers can witness the war’s impact firsthand.”
Despite Netanyahu’s anger over the story, multiple international organizations, including the United Nations, have warned of worsening hunger in Gaza.
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban told Fox News the malnutrition crisis has reached famine levels.
“After 22 months of war and two months of an Israeli blockade, people are in a horrendous state,” Chaiban said.
Netanyahu acknowledged the suffering but blamed Hamas for exacerbating the crisis, accusing the terror group of looting aid shipments and reselling supplies at inflated prices.
“I don’t deny there’s suffering,” Netanyahu said. “I want to end the suffering — and that means ending Hamas rule.”
During the interview, Netanyahu confirmed plans to take full control of the Gaza Strip, marking a major policy shift after Israel’s withdrawal nearly two decades ago.
