Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu has come under fire for remarks suggesting Israel should not concern itself with famine in Gaza, rejecting United Nations warnings about a growing humanitarian crisis in the territory.

The minister, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, told Radio Kol Barama that the government is “racing toward erasing Gaza,” and expressed satisfaction with the direction of the conflict. “Thank God we are eliminating this evil. All of Gaza will be Jewish,” Eliyahu reportedly said, according to Ynet.

He further stated, “Why should we care if there’s hunger in Gaza? Let the rest of the world feed them. No country provides food to its enemies. Are we out of our minds?”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly distanced himself from Eliyahu’s statements, clarifying that the minister is not part of the Security Cabinet, which directs the country’s military operations. “His words do not reflect the policy of this government,” Netanyahu said.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter also condemned the remarks, describing them as “wrong, foolish, and not representative of the government or the Israeli people.” He emphasized that Israel is working to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, but not via Hamas-controlled channels.

Since the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023, more than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities. At least 113 of those deaths have been attributed to starvation.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned this week that the Israeli blockade has driven Gaza to the verge of “mass starvation.”

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), urged Israel to allow the passage of roughly 6,000 aid trucks currently held up in Egypt and Jordan.

In response, Israeli officials have blamed Hamas and other armed groups for diverting supplies and attacking civilians at distribution sites.