{
  "id": 3725798,
  "title": "Israel is fighting Hamas, not Palestinians – Israeli Ambassador rejects Mahama’s ‘genocide’ claim",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/israel-is-fighting-hamas-not-palestinians-israeli-ambassador-rejects",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T11:15:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/israel-is-fighting-hamas-not-palestinians-israeli-ambassador-rejects-mahamas-genocide-claim/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, H.E. Roey Gilad, addressed President John Mahama's use of the term \"genocide\" to describe the ongoing conflict in Gaza. In a press conference on Wednesday, Gilad clarified that Israel is not waging war against the Palestinian people, but rather targeting the terrorist organization Hamas. He emphasized that while the situation in Gaza is tragic, it is not genocide and the correct term to use is \"tragedy.\" Gilad explained that Hamas, not the Palestinian people, is the primary threat to the Israeli people. The ambassador pointed out that Gaza is a small area sandwiched between Israel and Egypt, and Hamas launched a surprise attack from there on October 7, 2023. After the initial invasion, Israeli forces pushed Hamas back, but they still control parts of the territory. Gilad stated that Israel's goal is to secure the return of hostages and disarmament from Hamas, not the complete removal of the Palestinian population. He also highlighted that Israel is currently focused on dealing with non-state actors, particularly Iran, which has a history of promoting instability in the region through its support of various militant groups. Gilad acknowledged that Israel has made some progress in weakening Iran's influence in Syria and Lebanon, but he urged Ghana to join international efforts to pressure Iran to stop its destabilizing activities and adhere to international norms.",
  "summary": "Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leon, H.E. Roey Gilad, has described President John Dramani Mahama's description of the war in Gaza as genocide as a mistake, insisting Israel is fighting terrorist organisations, not the Palestinian people.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC World",
        "title": "Board of Peace's Gaza envoy criticises Israeli strikes and Hamas actions",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/board-of-peaces-gaza-envoy-criticises-israeli-strikes-and-hamas",
        "published": "2026-08-27T14:17:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "Accusations of Israeli genocide at US universities linked to BDS supporters, AMCHA report finds",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/accusations-of-israeli-genocide-at-us-universities-linked-to-bds",
        "published": "2026-08-27T15:34:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}