UN body declares famine in Gaza

Netanyahu slammed the UN-backed report as “an outright lie”, while the foreign ministry insisted: “There is no famine in Gaza”

- Agence France-Presse

The UN officially declared a famine in Gaza on Friday, blaming “systematic obstruction of aid” by Israel, hours after Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened to destroy the territory's largest city. Israel rejected the UN-backed report as “based on Hamas lies laundered through organisations with vested interests”. Hamas urged the United Nations and UN Security Council to “stop the war and lift the siege”, calling for unrestricted access for food, medicine, water and fuel.

The Rome-based Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) said famine was affecting 500,000 people in the Gaza governorate, which covers about a fifth of the Palestinian territory including Gaza City. Israel has pressed ahead with plans to seize Gaza City despite an international outcry, saying it is key to defeating Hamas.

The IPC projected that the famine would expand to Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis governorates by the end of September, covering around two-thirds of Gaza. With the vast majority of the territory's population displaced at least once, the UN said nearly a million people currently live in Gaza governorate.

UN agencies and aid groups had warned for months of a

looming famine in Gaza, where Israel has severely restricted aid and at times completely cut it off during its nearly two-year ‘war with militant group Hamas.