Famine Officially Declared In Gaza, As Israel Pummels, Blockades The Strip

The United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has officially declared a famine in the Gaza Governorate, which includes Gaza City, marking the first time famine has been confirmed in the Middle East. This comes nearly two years since Israel started its bombardment of Gaza on October 7, 2023.

This declaration on Friday, states that over half a million people are facing catastrophic conditions characterized by starvation, destitution, and death, with the crisis expected to spread to Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis by the end of September.

The UN and aid agencies attribute the famine to a "systematic obstruction" of humanitarian aid by Israel, combined with the destruction of food infrastructure and relentless military bombardment.

The IPC confirmed famine (IPC Phase 5) in Gaza City, covering about 20% of the Gaza Strip, as of August 15, 2025. The situation is described as the most severe deterioration in the region since the IPC began analyzing hunger in Gaza. The famine is projected to expand to cover around two-thirds of the territory by the end of September 2025.

The UN and humanitarian organizations stated that the famine is entirely preventable and a direct result of the Israeli blockade and military actions. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said food is "stacking up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel." The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said Israel's restrictions on aid may constitute starvation as a weapon of war, a war crime. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the situation a "man-made disaster" and a "moral indictment."

Israel has intensified its military operations in Gaza, particularly in Gaza City, with Prime Minister Netanyahu vowing to "open the gates of hell" on Hamas leaders.

In response, Israel's foreign ministry and defense ministry have rejected the findings, calling the report based on "Hamas lies" and asserting that a "massive influx of aid" has caused food prices, though they deny any policy of starvation. The Israeli defense ministry body, COGAT, accused the IPC of relying on "partial data" and ignoring information provided by Israel.

Israel initially blocked food and water entry into Gaza on October 9, 2023, leading to immediate food insecurity. The situation worsened after Israel launched a military offensive in Rafah in May 2024, closing the Rafah crossing and severely constraining aid. In early March 2025, Israel completely banned aid supplies for two months. UN agencies had warned of a looming famine for months, with the World Food Programme warning that people were "literally starving to death" by October 2023.