Palestinians struggle to receive donated food at a community kitchen in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, July 26, 2025. ABDEL KAREEM HANA / AP
The United Nations on Friday, August 22, officially declared a famine in Gaza, the first in the Middle East, with its experts saying 500,000 people were facing "catastrophic" hunger. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said the famine was entirely preventable, saying food could not get through to the Palestinian territory "because of systematic obstruction by Israel."
But Israel's foreign ministry immediately hit back, saying "there is no famine in Gaza." In a statement, it slammed the report by the Rome-based Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) panel, saying it was "based on Hamas lies laundered through organisations with vested interests."
UN agencies have for months been warning of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory. In its latest updated on Friday, the IPC said "as of 15 August 2025, famine (IPC Phase 5) − with reasonable evidence − is confirmed in Gaza Governorate," Gaza City, which covers about 20% of the Gaza Strip. Famine is projected to expand to the Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis governorates by the end of September, which would cover around two-thirds of the Palestinian territory.
