Famine was declared on Friday in parts of the Gaza Strip, with more than half a million Palestinians facing “starvation, destruction and death,” according to a warning released by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

Palestinians gather to receive meals from a food distribution center in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Aug. 18, 2025. Palestinians gather to receive meals from a food distribution center in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central ...

The IPC, a global body that monitors hunger crises, says 22 months of war in Gaza have left half a million people facing "starvation, destitution and death." Israel calls it "lies."

A UN-backed body says more than half a million people across Gaza are facing "starvation, destitution and death".

Saudi Arabia on Friday said it was extremely worried about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip after a UN-backed report confirmed for the first time famine in an area of the war-devastated territory.