Famine is unfolding in Gaza, just a short distance from hundreds of trucks laden with food aid stranded outside its borders.
The latest assessment by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) – the UN-backed authority on global hunger – paints a dire picture: half a million people, or one-quarter of Gaza’s population, are experiencing famine, a situation the report unequivocally describes as "entirely man-made."
Hunger amid blocked aid
The IPC’s findings are grounded in three critical indicators: starvation, acute malnutrition, and mortality. According to the report, at least 20% of households face extreme food shortages, and more than one in three children suffer from acute malnutrition. Though reliable mortality data is lacking due to the collapse of health monitoring systems, expert consensus and available evidence suggest the famine-related death threshold has also been breached.
The report emerges as Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry confirmed two additional deaths from malnutrition, raising the toll to 273, including 112 children.
Humanitarian crisis accelerates
Access to food in Gaza has long been constrained by Israeli restrictions, which intensified following the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. But the crisis escalated further after Israel imposed a nearly three-month total blockade starting in March 2025. Though limited aid resumed in late May, it did so under a new Israeli-controlled distribution system managed by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), replacing the UN’s former model.
Instead of 400 local distribution points, Palestinians now must walk long distances—often through militarised zones—to reach just four GHF centres. Witnesses describe a grim reality where seeking food has become a life-threatening act. The United Nations reports at least 994 people have been killed near GHF aid sites since late May, part of a broader toll of 1,760 Palestinians killed while trying to access humanitarian relief. Most were allegedly shot by Israeli forces, a claim supported by eyewitness accounts and medical sources but repeatedly denied by Israel.
Aid increases, but not enough
While Israel has increased daily truck entries and introduced “tactical pauses” in fighting to facilitate aid delivery, the situation remains dire. The soaring prices of essentials like flour—at one point over $85 per kilo—have dropped slightly but remain out of reach for many.
Aid groups say current entry levels remain insufficient. They estimate that 600 trucks per day are needed to meet basic needs, while fewer than half that number are being allowed through. Though Israel has permitted airdrops, humanitarian groups condemn them as inefficient and unsafe.
Allegations that Hamas is responsible for the hunger crisis have been refuted by multiple reports, including one from the US government, which found no evidence of systematic aid diversion by Hamas. Looting of aid convoys is prevalent, but aid agencies attribute it to desperate civilians and opportunistic resellers rather than organised militias.
Israeli government responds
Israeli officials have rejected the IPC’s findings, accusing it of bias and manipulation. The foreign ministry described the report as a "fabricated campaign" tailored to support Hamas. COGAT, the Israeli military agency overseeing Gaza border access, denounced the IPC assessment as “false and biased,” alleging it relied on data from the Hamas-run health ministry and deviated from established famine metrics.
The IPC rejected these criticisms, affirming that it adhered to long-standing and globally recognised standards. Though Israel has questioned the use of data from Hamas’s health authorities, these sources have been deemed credible by much of the international community throughout the conflict.
Global condemnation
International leaders and humanitarian organisations responded with outrage. UN Secretary General António Guterres reminded Israel of its legal obligations as the occupying power to ensure the provision of food and medical supplies. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher condemned what he termed Israel’s “systematic obstruction” of aid.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy echoed the sentiment, calling the famine a “moral outrage” directly linked to Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient humanitarian access. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned that using starvation as a weapon could constitute a war crime, as could the resulting civilian deaths.
Looming invasion
As Gaza grapples with famine, Israel is preparing a major military offensive in Gaza City, where famine has already taken hold. Tens of thousands of reservists have been called up for what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describes as a decisive move to defeat Hamas and retrieve Israeli hostages.
The invasion is expected to displace around one million Palestinians, and Israel has instructed medics and aid workers to prepare evacuation plans. A coalition of UN agencies—including UNICEF, WFP, and WHO—expressed deep concern, warning the offensive could have “devastating consequences” for civilians, especially vulnerable populations who may be unable to flee.
Source: BBC
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