On his HBO show Last Week Tonight, Oliver asserted, “Gaza is starving at the hands of Israel,” citing international human rights groups such as B’Tselem and reports in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. However, he made no mention of the Israeli civilians held hostage in Gaza, a central concern for many.
John Oliver’s monologue
(Video: HBO)
Oliver explicitly blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the crisis, calling him a “bad magician” and adding, “Go to hell.” He further criticized the United States for its role, accusing it of “helping Israel starve Gaza” through the provision of $18 billion in military aid during the war’s first year.
The host dismissed Israel’s claims of “airdropped aid” as insufficient to alleviate the crisis.
Addressing allegations that Hamas steals humanitarian aid meant for Palestinians, Oliver referenced “two senior Israeli officials” but largely downplayed the evidence supporting these claims and did not substantiate them.
“It’s very hard not to think that the reason humanitarian aid isn’t reaching Gaza is because Netanyahu and his government don’t want it,” Oliver said, quoting Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Oliver’s monologue ended with a call for increased international pressure on Israel to end the blockade, a message that was met with applause from the studio audience.
While the monologue highlighted severe humanitarian concerns, critics note Oliver’s omission of the hostage situation and his dismissal of documented instances of aid diversion by Hamas as significant gaps in his presentation.