United Nations, November 7 (RHC)-- Despite the abundance of evidence to the contrary, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations claimed in a televised interview that "there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza," and was swiftly rebuked by people around the world.

Challenged by CNN's Dana Bash, Ambassador Gilad Erdan doubled down on his position: "I'm not saying that the life in Gaza is great.  And, obviously, Hamas is the only one that should be held accountable for any situation in Gaza.  But there's a standard, due to international humanitarian law."

"What does it mean, a humanitarian crisis?  And I'm saying, again, there is no humanitarian crisis, based on the international humanitarian law, right now in Gaza," added Erdan, who also cast doubt on the death toll being shared by local officials.

U.S. Congressman Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) called Erdan's comments "unbelievable," given the current conditions in Gaza a month into the war Israel launched after a Hamas-led attack on October 7, and urged the ambassador to resign from his position.

Also responding to Erdan's appearance on "State of the Union," Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the anti-war group CodePink, said: "Does he think the world is not seeing the horrific reality in Gaza?  Does he think we will believe his lies? No, we won't."

Those who have so far survived the Israeli assault are facing limited power, water, and communication services as well as dwindling supplies of food and medicine.  The United Nations World Food Program stressed Sunday that the aid entering Gaza "is nowhere near enough to meet the exponentially growing needs."

"Right now, parents in Gaza do not know whether they can feed their children today and whether they will even survive to see tomorrow," said Cindy McCain, the U.N. program's executive director, as she returned from the Rafah border crossing in Egypt. "The suffering just meters away is unfathomable standing on this side of the border."

Erdan's recent interview was not the first time during the war that the Israeli government has contested conditions in Gaza.  During a Sky News appearance in Mid-October, Israeli diplomat Tzipi Hotovely also said that "there is no humanitarian crisis."