Gaza Famine Confirmed by UN-Backed Report Amidst International Condemnation of Israeli Policies
Gaza Famine Confirmed by UN-Backed Report Amidst International Condemnation of Israeli Policies
A United Nations-backed report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the world’s leading hunger monitor, has officially confirmed that famine conditions are now prevalent in Gaza. The stark assessment reveals that half a million people – a quarter of Gaza’s Palestinian population – are suffering from famine, unequivocally stating that the crisis is “entirely man-made.”
The IPC’s findings detail “starvation, destitution, and death” in the Gaza City area, with predictions that famine will spread rapidly across most of Gaza by September if current trends persist. The report is based on critical indicators including extreme food shortages in over 20% of households, acute malnutrition in more than a third of children, and a daily mortality rate of at least 2 in every 10,000 people due to starvation or related causes.
International aid organizations have intensified accusations against Israel, citing “systematic obstruction” of food entering the Gaza Strip as a direct cause of the crisis. This comes as the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports 273 deaths from malnutrition, including 112 children.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly denied the existence of famine and attributed any hunger to aid agencies and Hamas. Israeli government bodies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cogat (the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), have vehemently rejected the IPC report, labeling it as “fabricated,” “biased,” and based on “Hamas data,” while also accusing the IPC of altering its global standards. The IPC, however, has defended its methodology, asserting adherence to long-established standards, and the reliability of the Hamas-run health ministry’s data on casualties has been widely accepted throughout the conflict.
The humanitarian situation has significantly worsened since March 2025, following a near-total blockade imposed by Israel. While some limited aid has been allowed since late-May, a new distribution system operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has replaced UN-led efforts, forcing Palestinians to undertake dangerous journeys to access food. The UN has documented nearly 1,000 deaths near GHF sites since late May, with eyewitnesses and medics largely attributing these fatalities to Israeli troops.
Despite recent increases in aid trucks and “tactical pauses” in fighting, the UN and various aid organizations maintain that the current aid volume is drastically insufficient, falling far short of the 600 trucks daily required to meet basic needs. They also criticize inefficient aid airdrops and dismiss Israeli claims of systematic aid diversion by Hamas, noting that most looting is carried out by desperate civilians.
Global leaders have responded with strong condemnation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized Israel’s “unequivocal obligations under international law” to ensure essential supplies. The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, directly linked the famine to Israel’s “systematic obstruction.” UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy denounced Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient aid as a “moral outrage,” and UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned that using starvation as a method of warfare constitutes a “war crime.”
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