The official confirmation of famine in Gaza City has intensified international criticism of Israel’s blockade and military campaign, with aid agencies and human rights groups warning that deliberate restrictions are driving hundreds of thousands of civilians into extreme deprivation.
Famine conditions declared
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has classified parts of Gaza at Phase 5, its highest level of hunger assessment. More than half a million people are now in catastrophic conditions, and the organisation warns that by September almost a third of the territory’s population could be in immediate danger of starvation.
Since the start of the war last October, Gaza’s health authorities have reported hundreds of deaths directly linked to malnutrition, including more than a hundred children. Aid experts estimate that by mid-2026, over 130,000 children under the age of five will face life-threatening levels of hunger if the situation does not improve.
Restrictions on aid
United Nations officials say the famine is the direct result of systematic obstruction of humanitarian supplies, describing it as a man-made disaster that could have been prevented. Despite Israeli claims that millions of tonnes of aid have entered Gaza since October, humanitarian convoys continue to face severe restrictions. UN monitors say only 300 trucks are allowed through daily, well below the 600 needed to meet basic needs.
Israel has also relied on airdrops in recent months, but aid groups describe them as ineffective and dangerous, with reports of civilians killed by falling pallets. Amnesty International argues that the destruction of life-sustaining infrastructure, together with the obstruction of relief deliveries, amounts to a deliberate campaign of starvation.
Amnesty’s warning
In its response to the IPC declaration, Amnesty International said the famine is not only preventable but deliberately orchestrated. It described Israel’s policies as designed to impose conditions of life that destroy the civilian population, framing them as part of a wider campaign of collective punishment.
The organisation warned that Israel’s decision to prepare a new military offensive in Gaza City, while famine is already spreading, would intensify civilian deaths and further undermine international humanitarian law. It urged states to act immediately to lift the blockade, guarantee unimpeded aid flows, dismantle militarised distribution routes, and support neutral humanitarian organisations to deliver food and medicine safely.
Escalating civilian toll
Local health officials report that more than 62,000 people have been killed since October and that most of the population has been displaced repeatedly. Over ninety percent of homes have been damaged or destroyed, while health, water and sanitation systems have largely collapsed.
With famine now confirmed, observers say Gaza faces one of the most severe humanitarian emergencies in recent history. Rights groups insist that without decisive international intervention, famine-related deaths will accelerate and the survival of the civilian population will be placed in even greater jeopardy.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen.
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