### Title: Man-Made Famine in Gaza: A Growing Humanitarian Crisis

### Summary: Half a million people in Gaza are facing famine, attributed to systematic obstacles imposed by Israeli policies. Aid organizations report dire conditions and escalating malnutrition rates, with calls for urgent intervention to alleviate the crisis.

Famine is gripping Gaza, with reports indicating that a staggering half a million people—approximately 25% of the population—are suffering dire hunger, a crisis branded as "entirely man-made" by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed food security monitor. Aid organizations are accusing Israeli authorities of deliberately hindering the entry of food supplies into the region, as hundreds of trucks filled with aid remain parked at the borders, unable to deliver much-needed relief.

The disturbing IPC report describes conditions characterized by "starvation, destitution, and death" within Gaza City, warning of a rapid escalation of famine conditions if no action is taken. The findings are based on three alarming indicators: one in five households are experiencing severe food shortages, around one-third of children are acutely malnourished, and an estimated two individuals per 10,000 are dying daily due to malnutrition and starvation.

Despite clear evidence of hunger, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied that famine is occurring, attributing any shortages to the failings of aid organizations and Hamas. However, the IPC, amidst ongoing casualties due to malnutrition—with 273 reported deaths, including 112 children—contends that these deaths are indicative of a severe humanitarian failure exacerbated by Israeli restrictions on goods entering Gaza.

For nearly two years, Palestinian access to food has been heavily constrained, with an escalation in restrictions following the October 2023 outbreak of violence led by Hamas. The situation worsened dramatically with a total blockade imposed for three months, leading to water shortages and food scarcity. Under pressure from the international community, Israel began allowing some goods back into Gaza, but the extent of aid has been far from adequate, with organizations insisting that a minimum of 600 trucks daily are required to meet basic needs; presently, only half that number are allowed passage.

To compound the crisis, the new food distribution system managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has significantly reduced accessibility to food, replacing the previously more extensive UN-led initiative. Reports indicate that long, dangerous treks to access food have resulted in numerous fatalities, with nearly 1,000 Palestinians killed in incidents around GHF points since late May.

Although Israel has started permitting additional aid entry and airdrops, humanitarian organizations criticize these measures as inefficient and dangerous. Further complicating the situation, many aid agencies assert that the marked increase in looting of aid trucks is largely driven by desperate civilians, not by any systemic appropriation by Hamas, as Israel claims.

In response to the IPC findings, Israeli officials have dismissed the report as biased, contending it serves Hamas’s narrative. The global outrage has reached high-profile leaders, including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who emphasized Israel's obligations to ensure the food and medical supply to the populace under international law, reinforcing the urgency of the humanitarian crisis.

As Israel intensifies military operations in Gaza City, expecting to forcibly displace a million residents, concern mounts regarding the extreme vulnerabilities of those already suffering from famine. Reports from UNICEF, the World Food Programme, and the World Health Organization indicate that an invasion could have catastrophic consequences for civilians already facing starvation, urging immediate action to address the dire humanitarian needs in Gaza.