Current Status: Multiple UN agencies and international organizations have declared catastrophic levels of food insecurity in Gaza, with warnings of imminent famine conditions affecting the entire population.
Latest IPC analysis confirms Phase 5 (Catastrophe/Famine) conditions, with entire population experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity.
View IPC Reports →WFP reports severe restrictions on humanitarian access, with only a fraction of needed food aid entering Gaza. Markets have collapsed and food production has ceased.
WFP Palestine Emergency →Nowhere in Gaza is safe for children. Reports document catastrophic child malnutrition rates, with severe acute malnutrition threatening the lives of thousands of children.
UNICEF Emergency Response →WHO warns that malnutrition rates reach alarming levels in Gaza. Documents collapse of health system, with malnutrition-related diseases surging and medical facilities unable to cope.
WHO Gaza Emergency →Reports on dire conditions in shelters, with families surviving on one meal every two or three days.
UNRWA Gaza Emergency →Comprehensive situation reports documenting humanitarian access constraints and deteriorating food security.
OCHA Crisis Updates →Reports on humanitarian law violations and civilian protection
ICRC Reports →Medical documentation of malnutrition and health impacts
MSF Palestine →Complete siege announced, cutting off food, water, fuel, and electricity
UN warns of risk of starvation as humanitarian access severely restricted
IPC report warns of imminent famine risk for entire population
First deaths from malnutrition and dehydration reported
UN experts state "famine is imminent" in northern Gaza
IPC confirms famine thresholds likely crossed in parts of Gaza
Latest assessments show catastrophic food insecurity affecting entire population
"The entire population of Gaza is at imminent risk of famine. This is unprecedented in modern history."
- UN Special Rapporteurs
"Children are dying before their parents' eyes while trucks with life-saving aid are stuck just miles away."
- UNICEF Official
"We are witnessing the destruction of an entire food system and the use of starvation as a weapon of war."
- International Humanitarian Law Expert
The Gaza Strip has endured repeated military operations and a 16-year blockade that have resulted in widespread civilian suffering and serious allegations of war crimes. International human rights organizations, United Nations bodies, and humanitarian groups have documented unlawful attacks during major conflicts in Gaza – including Operation Cast Lead (2008-09), Operation Protective Edge (2014), the 2018-2019 border protests, the May 2021 escalation, and especially the 2023-2024 Israel-Gaza war. These reports detail mass starvation tactics, attacks on protected sites (hospitals, schools, shelters), targeting of aid workers and journalists, sniper shootings of children and civilians, and destruction of critical infrastructure. This overview compiles key findings, dates, and statistics from sources such as the UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Palestinian rights groups like Al Mezan, alongside reactions from governments and international courts.
One of the most striking allegations is the use of starvation as a weapon. The Israeli-imposed blockade since 2007, intensified after Hamas’s actions, led to a "complete siege" in October 2023 that cut off food, water, fuel, and electricity to Gaza's 2.3 million residents. Human Rights Watch has condemned this as a deliberate war crime, as essential supplies were blocked, thereby violating international humanitarian law.
Hospitals and clinics in Gaza have been repeatedly targeted despite their protected status. The raid on Al-Shifa Hospital in November 2023, along with numerous airstrikes on healthcare facilities, left structures devastated and patients abandoned without life-saving services. Reports from WHO, MSF, and HRW document systematic attacks that have crippled the healthcare system.
Schools and refugee shelters, frequently used as safe havens, have been hit, leading to significant civilian casualties. Aid workers, journalists, and even children have been explicitly targeted, resulting in tragic losses and highlighting blatant breaches of the laws of war.
The international community, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, has condemned these actions. Despite initiatives such as investigations and advisory opinions, political complexities and jurisdictional issues have impeded full accountability, leaving many victims without justice.