Famine grips Gaza's largest city and is likely to spread, authority on food crises says
Famine confirmed in Gaza City for first time amid warnings it will extend
- The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has officially declared a famine in Gaza City, marking the first such confirmation in the Middle East.
- The IPC warns that the famine is likely to extend to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of next month, affecting a quarter of Gaza's population who face catastrophic hunger.
- The severe hunger crisis is attributed to ongoing fighting, aid blockades, widespread displacement, and the collapse of food production over 22 months of conflict.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies the existence of hunger in Gaza, while the Israeli military agency COGAT has dismissed the IPC report as "false and biased."
- Aid organisations and analysts assert that Israel's restrictions on humanitarian aid and its military actions have exacerbated the crisis, leading to preventable deaths from starvation and disease.