Bret Stephens, a New York Times opinion columnist, published an article titled “No, Israel Is Not Committing Genocide in Gaza,” arguing against accusations of genocide in Gaza. He questioned the relatively low death toll compared to what he considers a truly genocidal campaign, citing approximately 60,000 Palestinian deaths. Stephens claims a lack of evidence for a deliberate Israeli plan to target and kill Gazan civilians, despite acknowledging the deaths of at least 17,400 children and a Lancet study suggesting a potential death toll exceeding 186,000. He dismisses accusations by stating that "bungled humanitarian schemes or trigger-happy soldiers" do not constitute genocide.

The article further details reports of at least 15 Palestinians starving to death, including four children, and over 1,000 killed while seeking food from a humanitarian foundation allegedly backed by Israel and the US. Stephens' article also ignores the historical context of Israeli actions against Palestinians, including the displacement of hundreds of thousands in 1948 and the ongoing efforts to suppress the Palestinian population.

The author concludes by criticizing Stephens' article for downplaying the severity of the situation in Gaza and aligning itself with the Israeli government.

Impact Statement: Stephens' article has drawn significant criticism for minimizing the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and for potentially influencing public perception of the conflict.