After 22 months of relentless conflict, more than half a million people in the Gaza Strip are in the grips of famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution, and preventable deaths, according to a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released Friday. Projections indicate that famine conditions will spread from Gaza Governorate to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis Governorates in the coming weeks.
According to an analysis of the IPC report released the same day, the Famine Review Committee (FRC), the world’s authority on catastrophic hunger, determined that famine is currently occurring in the Gaza Governorate. Furthermore, the FRC projects that additional governorates will reach famine thresholds in the coming weeks.
A famine classification is triggered when three critical thresholds — extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition, and starvation-related deaths — are breached. The latest analysis concludes that these criteria have been met on the basis of reasonable evidence.
"Just when it seems there are no words left to describe the living hell in Gaza, a new one has been added: ‘famine’," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement today from Osaka.
"This is not a mystery — it is a man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself. “
The FRC stressed that, since this famine is entirely human-made, it can be stopped and reversed.
While noting that "the time for debate and hesitation has passed," the FRC emphasized that starvation is present and spreading rapidly. An immediate, large-scale response is needed, and there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind about the necessity of such a response.
“Any further delay — even by days — will result in a totally unacceptable escalation of famine-related mortality,” the report said.
“If a ceasefire is not implemented to allow humanitarian aid to reach everyone in the Gaza Strip, and if essential food supplies, and basic health, nutrition, and WASH [water, sanitation, and hygiene] services are not restored immediately, avoidable deaths will increase exponentially.”
As the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza intensifies, widespread death and suffering persist across the territory, and the targeted killing of civilians seeking food continues. Increasing reports of malnutrition-related deaths indicate that the most vulnerable members of society are beginning to succumb.
The FRC expects this trend to spread to the wider population after first affecting vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases.
Access to food and other life-saving humanitarian aid in Gaza remains severely constrained by the Israeli government following months of blocking all humanitarian aid and commercial goods from entering Gaza, thereby disregarding international humanitarian law.
Israel’s collective punishment of civilians and the deliberate obstruction of essential humanitarian aid constitute severe war crimes. Using starvation as a method of warfare is one of the most egregious war crimes. All of these actions are likely to be acts of genocide.
Israeli government obstruction has left millions of dollars’ worth of food, medicine, water, and shelter supplies stranded in Jordan and Egypt while Palestinians starve to death.
Secretary-General Guterres emphasized that famine is not only about food; it is also the deliberate collapse of the systems necessary for human survival.
“People are starving. Children are dying. And those with the duty to act are failing,” he said.
“As the occupying power, Israel has unequivocal obligations under international law – including the duty of ensuring food and medical supplies of the population.”
Despite claims by Israeli authorities that there were no limits on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, most major international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been unable to deliver a single truckload of lifesaving supplies since March 2, when Israel began its long-term blockade of humanitarian assistance and commercial goods.
According to United Nations officials, humanitarian conditions remain largely unchanged despite slight improvements in UN aid operations enabled by the Israeli military’s "tactical pauses" and the recent approval of a mechanism for resuming the entry of some commercial goods into Gaza.
However, the amount of aid and goods entering Gaza does not meet the minimum requirements for a starving population, amidst spreading famine.
"We cannot allow this situation to continue with impunity. No more excuses. The time for action is not tomorrow — it is now," Guterres said
“We need an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and full, unfettered humanitarian access.”
According to today’s IPC analysis, while over half a million people in Gaza are facing catastrophic conditions, more than 1 million people (54 percent) are experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 4), and approximately 400,000 people (20 percent) are classified as facing crisis levels (IPC Phase 3).
At least 132,000 children under the age of five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition, which is double the IPC estimates from May 2025. Of these children, over 41,000 are estimated to be at a heightened risk of death due to severe acute malnutrition (SAM).
Additionally, nearly 55,500 malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women require urgent nutritional support.
The Israeli blockade of food, essential services, and goods, as well as other restrictions on means of survival, are part of a broader strategy that includes the Gaza "Humanitarian" Foundation (GHF) scheme — a militarized distribution mechanism promoted as a humanitarian solution.
The GHF is an entity controlled by Israel and the United States. However, it is opposed by the United Nations, humanitarian organizations, human rights organizations, and the vast majority of countries worldwide.
In its report, the FRC expressed grave concern about the continued, large-scale killing of civilians attempting to access food distributions and the inadequate planning, implementation, and monitoring of these distributions by the GHF.
Since the end of May, over 2,000 Palestinians have been killed and some 15,000 injured by Israeli forces while attempting to collect food in the territory. Most of these deaths occurred at or near GHF militarized aid distribution points, while others were killed near UN aid convoys.
The FRC noted that food distributions conducted by the GHF scheme do not meet the IPC's criteria to be classified as humanitarian assistance.
Human rights groups and UN rights experts argue that the setup weaponizes aid and limits food aid to small groups of Gazans who can reach it and survive crossing combat zones, which may itself amount to a war crime, crime against humanity, or an act of genocide.
Leading international and Israeli human rights organizations, international rights experts, and UN commissions have already determined that Israel's actions in Gaza, including the blockade and obstruction of humanitarian aid, not only constitute flagrant war crimes and crimes against humanity, but also are part of a genocide against Gaza's population.
According to these findings, the Israeli government is deliberately inflicting living conditions intended to destroy a group or part of a group, as defined in the Genocide Convention. Meanwhile, Israel's war in Gaza continues to be characterized by grave war crimes and crimes against humanity committed with impunity by Israeli military and government officials.
These crimes include using starvation as a method of warfare, denying humanitarian aid, collectively punishing civilians, carrying out indiscriminate killings, launching disproportionate attacks, targeting civilians, aid workers, and journalists, deliberately attacking civilian objects and undefended buildings, forcibly transferring people, torturing individuals, and forcibly disappearing people.
According to Gaza health officials, Israeli forces have killed over 62,100 Palestinians, most of whom were children, women, and elderly individuals, and injured more than 156,700 others in attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 2023.
However, the true death toll is believed to be much higher. Thousands more are believed to be buried under the rubble, though a lack of equipment and ongoing insecurity are hindering rescue efforts. Additionally, it is estimated that thousands have died from indirect causes, including starvation, lack of medical care, dehydration, and lack of shelter.
Meanwhile, hunger-related deaths and casualties among people seeking food continue to be reported daily, along with casualties in Israeli strikes on schools, tents, and residential buildings.
Further information
Full text: IPC Special Snapshot on the Gaza Strip, Famine confirmed in Gaza Governorate, projected to expand, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), report, released August 22, 2025
https://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Gaza_Strip_Acute_Food_Insecurity_Malnutrition_July_Sept2025_Special_Snapshot.pdf
Full text: Famine Review Committee: Gaza Strip, August 2025 - Conclusions and Recommendations, IPC Global Famine Review Committee (FRC), report, released August 22, 2025
https://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Famine_Review_Committee_Report_Gaza_Aug2025.pdf