Araghchi Accuses Israel of Starting Wars to Divert Attention From Gaza

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel on Thursday, November 12, of trying to start wars to divert attention from its failures. Araghchi described the situation as a genocide, an allegation he coupled with criticism of the coverage Gaza receives. “It is shameful,” he wrote. He claimed that the absence of Gaza from Western headlines showed that Israel had succeeded in part of its effort to shift attention through wars. Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected separate allegations in an October 26 statement about a report by the Commission of Inquiry established under the UN Human Rights Council. The ministry described that report as propaganda detached from reality and aimed at undermining Israel’s right to self-defense and delegitimizing the Jewish state. In a November 6 newsletter, Israel’s embassy in Australia said Israel had increased aid flows to Gaza under President Trump’s peace plan. It said Israel was coordinating winter preparations with the Board of Peace, the UN and international organizations. The embassy described Hamas’s refusal to disarm and relinquish control as an obstacle to reconstruction, and said Israel would continue supporting civilians while protecting Israelis’ security.