The United Nations officially declared a state of famine in Gaza yesterday, attributing the situation to the consistent hindrance of aid delivery by Israel throughout over 22 months of conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promptly rejected the findings, labeling the UN-supported report as a complete falsehood.
In the face of this crisis, Hamas has called upon the United Nations and the UN Security Council to intervene by halting the hostilities and lifting the blockade, advocating for unimpeded access to essential provisions such as food, medicine, water, and fuel. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) based in Rome disclosed that around 500,000 individuals in the Gaza governorate, encompassing approximately one-fifth of the Palestinian enclave, are currently grappling with famine.
Despite widespread international condemnation, Israel is moving forward with its plans to seize control of Gaza City, citing the strategic importance of capturing the largest urban center in the territory as a means to defeat Hamas. The IPC forecasted that the famine is likely to spread to the Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis governorates by the end of September, affecting roughly two-thirds of Gaza’s population.
With a significant portion of the territory’s inhabitants having been displaced at least once, the UN reported that nearly a million people now reside in the Gaza governorate. Various UN agencies and humanitarian organizations had issued repeated warnings about an impending famine in Gaza, emphasizing the severe restrictions imposed by Israel on aid deliveries, including instances of complete cut-offs during the prolonged conflict with the militant group Hamas.
In response to the allegations, COGAT, an Israeli defense ministry entity overseeing civil matters in the Palestinian territories and aid coordination for Gaza, disputed the IPC’s findings, citing reliance on incomplete data and questionable sources. The UN’s aid chief, Tom Fletcher, highlighted that the famine could have been averted if not for the systematic obstruction by Israel preventing essential supplies from reaching vulnerable Palestinians.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire, stressing the urgency of addressing the dire humanitarian situation without impunity. UN human rights chief Volker Turk condemned the use of starvation as a tactic of warfare, branding it as a war crime, for which the International Criminal Court had issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu in November.
In a statement, Netanyahu refuted the accusations, asserting that Israel does not pursue a policy of starvation and citing statistics on the aid shipments permitted into Gaza. The IPC report painted a grim picture, indicating that over 500,000 individuals in Gaza are facing critical conditions marked by starvation, extreme poverty, and mortality.
The deteriorating situation in Gaza between July and August was described as the most severe since the monitoring of hunger levels began, driven by an intensified conflict and restrictions on essential supplies. In an alarming development, Israel imposed a complete ban on aid deliveries to Gaza for two months starting in early March, resulting in acute shortages of food, medicines, and fuel.
In a message from Geneva, the UN’s Fletcher lamented that the famine could have been averted if access had been granted, yet food supplies remained stranded at the borders due to Israel’s systematic obstruction. The International Committee of the Red Cross urged Israel to ensure that the fundamental needs of Gaza’s civilian population are met, emphasizing the urgent need for concrete actions following the famine declaration.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy squarely blamed the Israeli government for the humanitarian catastrophe, asserting that the insufficient aid access to Gaza was a deliberate act that amounted to a moral outrage. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stern warning that severe consequences awaited Hamas leaders, particularly in Gaza City, until they met Israel’s conditions for ending the conflict, including the release of all hostages and disarmament.
Military chief Eyal Zamir announced plans for an escalation of operations in Gaza in the upcoming days. Netanyahu disclosed that negotiations had commenced immediately to secure the release of the hostages still held in Gaza, numbering 49 individuals, including 27 reportedly deceased according to the Israeli military.
Efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement have been ongoing, with Hamas having accepted a recent proposal awaiting Israel’s official response. On the ground, reports from Gaza’s civil defense agency indicated that Israeli attacks claimed the lives of at least 46 individuals the previous day, with a majority of the casualties occurring in Gaza City.
A distressed resident of Gaza City, Umm Mohammed Nasr, lamented the continuous bombardment and the lack of safe havens for families like hers, underscoring the dire circumstances faced by civilians. Amid media restrictions in Gaza and challenges in verifying information due to limited access, the accuracy of casualty figures reported by the civil defense agency and the Israeli military remains unconfirmed.
According to data from the health ministry in Hamas-administered Gaza, endorsed by the United Nations, Israel’s military campaign since October 7, 2023, has resulted in the deaths of at least 62,192 Palestinians, with the majority being civilians.