Gaza suffering worst level of hunger as UN declares famine amid Israeli blockade

Amid Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza, a UN-backed assessment, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), has declared that the enclave is experiencing the highest level of starvation, accompanied by destitution and death.

The report warned that other parts of Gaza, including Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, are also at risk of being classified in phase five, the most severe stage of the IPC scale, indicating extreme food insecurity and widespread acute malnutrition.

According to the IPC findings, over 500,000 people in Gaza are already enduring starvation, while the rest of the population is living under increasingly dire conditions as Israeli restrictions continue to block food supplies.

The data shows that 1.07 million people, representing 54 percent of Gaza’s population, are facing “emergency” levels of hunger, while another 396,000 people, or 20 percent, are struggling at the “crisis” stage.

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Israeli officials, however, have rejected claims of famine, dismissing the IPC findings as “Hamas lies.” Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused humanitarian organisations of deliberately spreading “false reports” to serve Hamas’s interests.

In contrast, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher criticised Israel’s blockade for creating famine-like conditions, describing Tel Aviv’s policies as “systematic efforts” to obstruct aid deliveries.

“It is a famine we could have prevented if food had been allowed in. Yet, aid trucks remain stuck at the borders due to deliberate obstruction by Israel,” he said.

The IPC further warned that 132,000 children in Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition, while around 4,100 are at imminent risk of death without urgent medical care and nutrition support.

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Due to the severe food shortage caused by the Israeli blockade, at least 271 people, including 112 children, have died from hunger-related causes in Gaza. Thousands more are experiencing acute malnutrition and remain at risk of starvation.

Israel’s war on Gaza has so far killed at least 62,192 people and wounded 157,114 others, according to local health authorities.