UN raises alarm as Gaza death toll hits 60,000

More than one in three people in Gaza are now going days at a time without food, an alert issued by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, a United Nations (UN)-backed assessment, said.

It said there is mounting evidence that widespread starvation, malnutrition and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths among the 2.1 million Palestinians there.

“This is the worst-case scenario of famine unfolding in Gaza. Only immediate action to end hostilities and unimpeded, large-scale humanitarian access can stop further deaths and catastrophic human suffering,” the IPC said.

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UN agencies have already warned there is man-made, mass starvation in Gaza, and reported at least 63 malnutrition-related deaths this month. They have blamed the crisis on Israel, which controls the entry of all supplies to the territory.

António Guterres, UN Secretary General, said: “The facts are in – and they are undeniable. Palestinians in Gaza are enduring a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions.

“This is not a warning. It is a reality unfolding before our eyes. The trickle of aid must become an ocean. Food, water, medicine, and fuel must flow in waves and without obstruction.”

Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of stealing aid. However, the New York Times cited senior Israeli military officials as saying on Sunday that the military had never found proof that the armed group had systematically stolen aid from the UN.

Reuters news agency also reported last week that internal US government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas of US-funded aid.