UN Declares Famine in Gaza, Citing Israeli Blockade as War Crime

The famine officially declared today in Gaza Governorate by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is the culmination of months of escalating deprivation, which humanitarian experts and UN officials say is the direct result of Israeli government policies. The IPC’s findings confirm that all three famine thresholds—extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition, and starvation-related deaths—have been breached, marking one of the gravest humanitarian catastrophes in the region’s history.

Starvation by Design

The famine has not emerged naturally, but from what observers describe as deliberate policies of restriction and destruction. Israeli authorities have:

• Blocked and restricted humanitarian aid, including food, fuel, water, and medical supplies.

• Destroyed critical civilian infrastructure, leaving health, water, and sanitation systems collapsed.

• Banned fishing and decimated agriculture, rendering 98% of Gaza’s cropland unusable.

• Forcibly displaced the population, with nine in ten Gazans displaced multiple times.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of civilians are facing catastrophic hunger, with children and the elderly dying from starvation and preventable diseases.

War Crimes and International Law

Human rights experts stress that using starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited under international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“It is a war crime to use starvation as a method of warfare, and the resulting deaths may also amount to the war crime of willful killing,” legal analysts noted, pointing to obligations under the Geneva Conventions.

The deliberate targeting of civilian food systems – through destruction of farmland, livestock, and restrictions on aid – has amplified the crisis and, according to UN experts, could give rise to accountability proceedings against those responsible.

Humanitarian Toll

• More than 640,000 people in Gaza are already experiencing famine-level conditions (IPC Phase 5).

• Over 1.5 million more are at emergency or crisis levels (IPC Phases 3 and 4).

• In July, more than 12,000 children were identified as acutely malnourished – the highest monthly number ever recorded in Gaza, with one in four suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM).

• Pregnant and breastfeeding women are among the most at risk, with 55,000 projected to suffer life-threatening malnutrition by mid-2026.

Deaths from starvation have already been recorded, with aid agencies warning that these numbers will rise sharply unless conditions change immediately.

Calls for Urgent Action

International agencies have issued urgent appeals:

• Immediate and unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid in sufficient quantities.

• Full access for UN and humanitarian organisations across the Gaza Strip.

• Restoration of food production systems, including cropland, fishing, and local markets.

• Protection of civilians under international humanitarian law, including the right to food and survival.

“Israeli authorities must take immediate steps to end the famine in Gaza Governorate and prevent further loss of life,” humanitarian experts urged.

A Man-Made Catastrophe

The IPC report underscores that this is not a natural famine but a man-made disaster, driven by policies of siege, bombardment, and displacement. Experts argue that without political change, humanitarian assistance alone will not be enough to reverse the crisis.

The declaration marks the first time in modern history that famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East, underscoring the scale of the crisis. For millions of civilians in Gaza, survival now depends on whether international pressure can force an immediate shift toward humanitarian access and protection.