Gaza City and its surrounding areas have officially entered famine, with hunger expected to spread rapidly across the Palestinian territory, according to a global hunger monitor. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) announced on Friday that nearly 514,000 people close to a quarter of Gaza’s population are suffering famine conditions, a figure projected to rise to 641,000 by the end of September.
The IPC report identified Gaza governorate, which includes Gaza City, as the epicenter of the crisis, where 280,000 residents face catastrophic shortages of food. It is the first time the IPC has declared a famine outside Africa, underscoring the severity of the humanitarian disaster. The group warned that famine will likely spread southwards into Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis within weeks.
U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher condemned the situation as preventable, accusing Israel of obstructing aid deliveries. “It is a famine that we could have prevented had we been allowed. Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction,” Fletcher said.
Israel rejected the findings, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissing the report as “an outright lie” and “a modern blood libel.” Israeli officials argue the IPC relied on incomplete data from Hamas and ignored recent aid inflows.
The declaration has intensified international pressure on Israel. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the famine as “a man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself,” while U.N. rights chief Volker Türk warned that starvation deaths could amount to war crimes. Britain called the report “utterly horrifying,” urging Israel to immediately allow unrestricted aid deliveries.
Diplomatic fallout is mounting as U.S. public opinion shifts. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 65% of Americans want Washington to help those starving in Gaza, challenging Israel’s reliance on U.S. support. Former President Donald Trump acknowledged widespread hunger in Gaza, diverging from Netanyahu’s denial of famine.
The crisis stems from the war triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing hostages. Israel’s response has since left over 62,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza health authorities.
As aid bottlenecks persist, the IPC warns Gaza’s hunger crisis may soon engulf the entire territory unless urgent access is granted.
