A United Nations-backed analysis has confirmed the presence of famine in northern Gaza, marking the first such declaration in West Asia. The situation, described as catastrophic, has left over half a million people in Gaza struggling with extreme hunger and facing imminent death.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global initiative that monitors food crises, announced on Friday that the Gaza Governorate, including Gaza City, has reached Phase 5 famine levels, the most critical tier. It projects that the famine will spread to other regions Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September, potentially encompassing nearly two-thirds of the territory.

“This is not a natural disaster, it is a man-made catastrophe, unfolding in full view of the world and entirely preventable,” said the International Rescue Committee in response to the report. Oxfam called the situation “the horrifying consequence of Israel’s violence,” while Save the Children described it as “systematically starved by design.”

Despite these findings, Israel has rejected the UN-backed report, calling it illegitimate. The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated: “There is no famine in Gaza,” and claimed that the report was “based on Hamas lies laundered through organisations with vested interests.” Israeli officials insist that large amounts of aid have entered the territory and that food prices have fallen, disputing the scale of the crisis.

However, humanitarian agencies, UN experts, and over 100 aid organisations have consistently warned that access restrictions, intensified hostilities, and widespread destruction of infrastructure have made it nearly impossible to deliver adequate assistance. According to the IPC report, “After 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death.”

The humanitarian collapse in Gaza includes not just food shortages, but also a near-total breakdown of agriculture, health care, and sanitation systems. The IPC estimates that 98% of farmland is either destroyed or unreachable, while fishing remains prohibited and livestock herds have been wiped out. Access to clean water is severely limited, and medical care is in crisis.

The United Nations blames Israel’s military blockade for impeding the delivery of crucial supplies. “It is a famine that we could have prevented if we had been allowed. Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel,” said UN aid chief Tom Fletcher during a press briefing in Geneva. He further added: “It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the crisis in the strongest terms, calling it “a man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself.” He emphasised that “famine is not only about food; it is the deliberate collapse of the systems needed for human survival,” and reiterated Israel’s responsibilities under international law. “We cannot allow this situation to continue with impunity,” he declared. “No more excuses. The time for action is not tomorrow it is now.”

While Israel points to the movement of aid trucks into Gaza, the UN has reported that over 1,300 people have been killed while attempting to reach food supplies since late May — including hundreds at aid distribution points controlled by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a controversial system involving Israeli military oversight and American contractors.

The IPC outlines three conditions that must be met for a famine declaration: 20% of households must face extreme food shortages, 30% of children under five must be acutely malnourished, and a daily death rate of two per 10,000 people must be occurring due to hunger or hunger-related illness. According to the latest analysis, Gaza meets all three.

The numbers are staggering: by the end of September, nearly 641,000 people — close to one-third of Gaza’s population are expected to be experiencing catastrophic hunger. An additional 1.14 million people could be in the emergency food insecurity phase, while 396,000 more remain in crisis.

Health outcomes are expected to worsen sharply, particularly for children. The IPC warns that at least 132,000 children under five are at risk of dying from acute malnutrition by mid-2026, including 41,000 in critical condition. An estimated 55,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women also require emergency nutritional support.

UN agencies say the situation has escalated due to the near-total ban on aid imposed by Israel in March, with only limited deliveries allowed since May. Fletcher directly addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to end the blockade. “Let us get food and other supplies in and at the massive scale required. For humanity’s sake, let us in.”

World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that, “This man-made, widespread malnutrition means that even common and usually mild diseases like diarrhoea are becoming fatal, especially for children.” He also called for an end to “aid blockages.”

Meanwhile, political voices defending Israel’s position have criticised the famine declaration. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, commenting before the report was released, said: “You know who IS starving? The hostages kidnapped and tortured by uncivilised Hamas savages.” He accused Hamas of stockpiling food and withholding it from the civilian population.

While the debate over responsibility continues, humanitarian agencies remain united in their assessment: the situation in Gaza constitutes an engineered disaster. “This devastating milestone confirms what humanitarians have warned for months,” the IRC said. “Famine is now a deadly reality in Gaza City.”