Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz accuse Haaretz of publishing “blood libel” following a report in the newspaper revealing that troops are receiving orders from commanders to open fire on aid-seeking civilians.
“These are vicious lies designed to discredit the IDF — the most moral army in the world,” they say in a joint statement.
Despite their outrage, the IDF has confirmed launching a high-level probe into the matter.
“The IDF operates under difficult conditions against a terrorist enemy that operates from within the civilian population… and operates an entire industry of lies to undermine the legitimacy of the State of Israel,” they say.
“IDF soldiers receive clear orders to avoid harming innocent civilians, and they act accordingly.”
“Israel calls on all free democratic countries to stand by it in its just and moral struggle against the murderous terrorist organization Hamas,” they add.
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel - and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Yes, I'll give
Yes, I'll give
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Friday, June 27, 2025
