Famine in Gaza confirmed by hunger monitor for first time since war started
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Portions of Gaza are enduring famine, a UN-backed hunger monitor said Friday in a determination Israel rejected as fabricated and political.
Why it matters: This is the first time that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has said famine exists in Gaza since the war began nearly two years ago.
- The IPC, which was established by the UN, aid groups and governments, monitors global hunger and is the primary tool the international community uses to conclude whether famine occurs.
Driving the news: The IPC determination comes several weeks after reports of growing starvation in Gaza led to significant international pressure on Israel, including from President Trump, to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
- Israel relented in July and allowed delivery of aid into Gaza after four months of various restrictions.
- Despite significant amounts of aid entering Gaza daily in the last three weeks, the humanitarian situation remains dire. The collapse of law and order in Gaza means most of the aid gets looted rather than distributed to the enclave's most vulnerable people.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday approved the detailed plan for the IDF to occupy Gaza City. As part of the offensive, Israel is expected to displace more than 800,000 Palestinians — a step that will likely exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.
Zoom in: The IPC report found there is "reasonable evidence" that as of Aug. 15 the situation in parts of the Gaza Strip have reached "IPC Phase 5" hunger — which means famine.
- The report said that at least 500,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are facing "catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death."
- The report stressed that another 1.4 million Palestinians are suffering dire conditions that are short of famine but at risk of deteriorating.
- "Between mid-August and the end of September 2025, conditions are expected to further worsen with Famine projected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. Nearly a third of the population (641,000 people) are expected to face catastrophic conditions," the report said.
- The report said the famine in parts of Gaza "is entirely man-made, it can be halted and reversed."
What they are saying: UN Secretary-General António Guterres wrote on X the famine in Gaza "is a man-made disaster, a moral indictment and a failure of humanity itself."
- Guterres said Israel "has unequivocal obligations under international law — including the duty of ensuring food and medical supplies of the population."
- He called for an immediate ceasefire that will allow aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
The other side: The Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Israeli government's coordinator in charge of the humanitarian situation in Gaza both rejected the IPC report and claimed its conclusions were false and political.
- "The IPC has just published a tailor-made fabricated report to fit Hamas's fake campaign. The entire IPC document is based on Hamas lies laundered through organizations with vested interests. There is no famine in Gaza," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.
- The Israeli government claimed the IPC reached its conclusions by changing its own criteria so that the data will show that famine exists in Gaza.
- The Israeli Foreign Ministry claimed the influx of aid into Gaza in recent weeks has caused a decline in food prices in Gaza — a sign that there is less demand for food.
- "The laws of supply and demand don't lie — the IPC does," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.
