British journalist sparks outage with denial of Gaza famine

WEB DESK: British journalist Melanie Phillips stirred controversy on Friday when she denied the on-going famine in Gaza during an episode of “BBC Question Time”.

The British journalist is known for her pro-Israel stance. Her recent remarks denying the humanitarian crisis in Gaza sparked outrage. She claimed that food aid intended for Gazans was being “stolen” by Hamas.

Critics accused Melanie Phillips of distorting facts, pointing out the dire situation in Gaza and advocating for an immediate ceasefire to address mass hunger.

Read more: Gaza genocide: top authors boycott PEN World Voices Festival

The far-right journalist also alleged that Hamas had “compromised” the United Nations, although independent sources did not provide evidence to support her claims.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly the situation in Gaza, is a longstanding conflict spanning decades. The recent conflict began after Israel invaded Gaza following Hamas attacks inside Israel on October 7.

Despite calls for an immediate ceasefire to ease Gazans’ suffering, Israel under Prime Minister Netanyahu refused to back down. He insisted that the conflict would persist until Hamas was “eliminated.”

This was not the first time Melanie Phillips courted controversy. She found herself embroiled in controversy following her association with Anders Breivik, the perpetrator of the 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway that killed 77 people. Breivik quoted Phillips in his manifesto before carrying out his terrorist attack.

Phillips’ association with Breivik was widely condemned. Her views also faced heavy scrutiny for aligning with a terrorist.