Famine has officially hit part of Gaza and is expected to spread in the coming weeks, according to a global hunger monitoring group’s latest findings, reports RTE.
The announcement is likely to increase international pressure on Israel to allow greater access for humanitarian assistance into the conflict-ravaged Palestinian territory.
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system, 514,000 people—nearly 25% of Gaza’s population—are already in famine, with that number projected to grow to 641,000 by the end of September, reports RTE.
Around 280,000 people are located in the northern Gaza governorate, including Gaza City, where the IPC confirmed famine conditions exist for the first time in the enclave. The remaining affected population lives in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, central and southern areas that the IPC forecasts will reach famine status by the end of next month, reports RTE.
Israel has rejected the findings, calling the report “false and biased.” Its military agency overseeing aid, COGAT, claimed the IPC’s assessment was based on “partial data originating from the Hamas Terrorist Organisation”.
To declare a region in famine, the IPC requires that at least 20% of the population be suffering from extreme food deprivation, one-third of children be acutely malnourished, and two out of every 10,000 people die each day from hunger or hunger-related disease, reports RTE.
Even when these conditions are not met on a regional level, the IPC can still assess that certain households are experiencing famine conditions—defined as a state of starvation, destitution, and death.
UN human rights commissioner Volker Türk today said Israel’s actions were directly responsible for the famine in Gaza, warning that deaths from hunger could be classified as a war crime.
The IPC’s analysis follows a warning from countries including the UK, Canada, Australia, and several EU members, who said the humanitarian situation had reached “unimaginable levels” after nearly two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas, reports RTE.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly warned of an “epic humanitarian catastrophe” facing the more than two million residents of Gaza.
Last month, US President Donald Trump also commented that many in Gaza are starving, putting him at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has continued to deny there is widespread starvation, reports RTE.
Israel controls all entry points into Gaza. Today, COGAT stated that the IPC report had ignored Israeli figures on aid deliveries and failed to consider a recent rise in food shipments into the enclave.
“COGAT firmly rejects the claim of famine in the Gaza Strip, and particularly in Gaza City,” the agency said, denouncing the report as “unprofessional”, reports RTE.
The UN has long reported difficulty delivering aid into Gaza and distributing it across the active conflict zones, blaming both Israeli-imposed restrictions and general lawlessness. Israel has criticised the UN-led efforts, accusing Hamas of diverting aid—an allegation the group denies.
According to the IPC, today’s findings focused solely on the populations of Gaza, Deir al-Balah, and Khan Younis. It was unable to evaluate North Gaza governorate due to limited access and lack of data. The Rafah region was not included in the analysis, as it is now largely empty of residents, reports RTE.
This marks the fifth time in 14 years that the IPC has confirmed a famine. The IPC is a collaboration between 21 humanitarian organisations, including UN agencies and regional bodies, funded by the EU, Germany, the UK, and Canada.
Previous famine determinations by the IPC include Somalia in 2011, South Sudan in 2017 and 2020, and Sudan in 2024. The IPC does not formally declare famine but instead provides analysis for governments and institutions to make such declarations, reports RTE.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week shows 65% of Americans support US assistance to those facing starvation in Gaza.
Israel has long relied on strong support from the US, both diplomatically and militarily. A shift in American public sentiment could prove troubling for Israel as it confronts not only Hamas in Gaza but also unresolved tensions with regional rival Iran.
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took around 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials. Since then, more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military operations, according to Gaza health authorities, reports RTE.
The United States, Qatar, and Egypt continue efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement between the parties.
Earlier today, ActionAid stated that “time has run out” for Gaza’s population and criticised world leaders for allowing the humanitarian disaster to continue unchecked, reports RTE.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, the charity’s Advocacy and Communications Director said the global community has failed to stop the war and must now take decisive steps.
Riham Jafari said: “The time has run out for the people of Gaza. There is no time for words or statements, the time should be allocated for action.
“The silence and inaction of the world and international community allowed those atrocities to continue and to be committed against people, women, children of Gaza,” reports RTE.
Ms Jafari added that Israel’s plan to seize control of Gaza City would displace “around one million people” who have no safe place to go.
It is a “death sentence to the people of Gaza”, she added.
“This will be another disaster, another atrocity, that will end the lives of many people in Gaza. Many victims will be killed in this military operation. A million people will be displaced without knowing where to go or if they will be able to find shelter,” reports RTE.
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