Gaza Hit by Famine: WHO Warns, Israel Denies Responsibility

In a dire warning, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced yesterday, Wednesday, that Gaza is experiencing a state of mass starvation due to the Israeli blockade imposed since March 2025, confirming that malnutrition in the region has reached lethal levels.

The organization reported that 21 children under the age of five have died this year due to hunger and malnutrition.

On the other hand, the Israeli government denied responsibility for the food crisis, with its spokesperson, David Minsar, stating that "there is no famine in Gaza caused by Israel," accusing Hamas of creating food shortages by preventing and looting aid distribution.

Amid this situation, over 100 non-governmental organizations, including "Doctors Without Borders," "Amnesty International," "Oxfam," and "Doctors of the World," have warned of a potential widespread famine in Gaza, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the opening of land crossings, and ensuring the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid.

These organizations emphasized in a joint statement that large quantities of food, medical supplies, water, shelter materials, and fuel remain stuck outside the region or inside warehouses, unable to reach those in need due to imposed restrictions.

This statement came after the United Nations Human Rights Commission accused the Israeli army of killing over a thousand people while attempting to reach aid distribution points since the end of May, most of them near sites affiliated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an organization with unclear funding sources despite declared support from the United States and Israel.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation in Gaza as "unprecedented in modern history," noting that the number of casualties and the extent of destruction exceeded all expectations.

Palestinian medical sources announced on Wednesday the death of 10 individuals within 24 hours due to famine and malnutrition, raising the death toll from hunger since the beginning of the year to 111 people.

They added that 25 children died in the last three days, while approximately 900,000 children are suffering from hunger, with around 70,000 actually in a state of acute malnutrition.

The humanitarian situation has reached an unprecedented level of deterioration, with about a third of Gaza's population deprived of food for several consecutive days, as reported by the World Food Programme.

Israel imposed a complete blockade on the region on March 2nd, after the collapse of talks on extending the ceasefire that lasted for six weeks.

By the end of May, Israel prevented the entry of any goods before allowing a limited number of trucks to enter.

With the depletion of the stockpile accumulated during the ceasefire period, Gaza is facing its worst supply crisis since the outbreak of the war over 21 months ago.