SKY News has issued an apology after one of its hosts compared an Israel politician's comments on Gaza to the treatment of Jewish people in the Holocaust.

The broadcaster put out a statement after anchor Belle Donati interviewed Danny Danon, a member of Israel’s Knesset from Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Danon was appearing after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocide in Gaza, and to “prevent and punish” those inciting genocide in the region.

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Donati brought up an article Danon had authored in the Wall Street Journal in November under the headline “The West Should Welcome Gaza Refugees”.

The Sky News host said: “You’ve called for a voluntary migration of Palestinians from Gaza. In November you co-authored a piece in the Wall Street Journal. You suggested the ethnic cleansing of some of Gaza’s population to Western countries that would accept the refugees.

“The exact quote from that article: ‘One idea is for countries around the world to accept limited numbers of Gazan families who have expressed a desire to relocate.’ Do you stand by those comments?”

Danon, who had been speaking through Donati’s question, said: “I will not allow it. Ethnic cleansing, that’s a word you used. If you read my article, I spoke about voluntary immigration.

“Let me remind you. You spoke about ethnic cleansing, I spoke about voluntary immigration. I think anyone in the world who voluntarily wants to move to another country should be eligible to do that.”

Donati said: “The sort of voluntary relocation of many Jewish people during the Holocaust, I imagine, is not voluntary relocation.”

Danon said: “Shame on you for that comparison. That is a shameful antisemitic equation. I will not allow you to speak about the Holocaust and compare [it] to what’s happening today.

“This is pure antisemitism what you just said, comparing the Holocaust to what’s happening today in Gaza.”

On Friday afternoon, Sky News issued an apology for the host’s comments.

The broadcaster said in a statement: “In an interview earlier today with Israeli politician Danny Danon a Sky News presenter made a comparison between Mr Danon’s comments on Israel’s war with Hamas and the treatment of Jewish people in the Holocaust.

“Sky News recognises the complete inappropriateness of this comparison and the offensive nature of those comments.

“Sky News would like to apologise unreservedly for the comparison and to Mr Danon personally for making the comparison.”