The UN has officially declared a state of famine in Gaza, the first in the Middle East. As the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) committee points out, the situation is "catastrophic" for 500,000 people in the enclave.
Famine has now been confirmed in the Gaza City governorate, which covers approximately 20% of the Strip. The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, said the famine in northern Gaza was caused by the Israeli government, while warning that starvation deaths in the enclave could be classified as a war crime.
"The famine declared today in the Gaza Governorate by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is a direct result of actions taken by the Israeli government," he said.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) has issued a strong response.
"This is a report that aims to create a false representation and does not reflect the reality on the ground," the statement said.