*

IPC reports 514,000 Gazans in famine, rising to 641,000 by

end

of September

*

Israel disputes famine claims, accuses Hamas of false

starvation

campaign

*

Fifth time in past 14 years that the IPC has determined

there is

a famine

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Famine has struck an

area of Gaza and will likely spread over the next month, a

global hunger monitor determined on Friday, an assessment that

will escalate pressure on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid

into the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system

said 514,000 people - nearly a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza -

are experiencing famine and that was due to rise to 641,000 by

the end of September.

Some 280,000 of those people are in a northern region

covering Gaza City - known as Gaza governorate - which the IPC

said was in famine, its first such determination in the enclave.

The rest are in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis - central and

southern areas that the IPC projected would be in famine by the

end of next month.

For a region to be classified as in famine at least 20% of

people must be suffering extreme food shortages, with one in

three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every

10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease.

Even if a region has not yet been classified as in famine

because those thresholds have not been met, the IPC can

determine that households there are suffering famine conditions,

which it describes as starvation, destitution and death.

The IPC analysis comes after Britain, Canada, Australia and

many European states said the humanitarian crisis had reached

"unimaginable levels" after nearly two years of war between

Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas. U.N. Secretary-General

Antonio Guterres has long warned of an "epic humanitarian

catastrophe" in the enclave of more than 2 million people.

U.S. President Donald Trump last month said many people there

were starving, putting him at odds with some in his Republican

party, who have staunchly supported Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu's position that there was no starvation.

ISRAEL CONTROLS GAZA ACCESS

Israel controls all access to Gaza. COGAT, the Israeli

military agency that coordinates aid, on Thursday accused Hamas

of a "false starvation campaign" and said the U.N. and others

were spreading unfounded claims about hunger in Gaza. In a video

on X, COGAT disputed that there was famine in Gaza.

The U.N. has long complained of obstacles to getting aid into

Gaza and distributing it throughout the war zone, blaming

impediments on Israel and lawlessness. Israel has been critical

of the U.N.-led operation and accuses Hamas of stealing aid,

which the militants deny.

The IPC said the analysis released on Friday only covered

people living in Gaza, Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis

governorates. It was unable to classify North Gaza governorate

due to access restrictions and a lack of data and it excluded

any remaining population in the southern Rafah region as it is

largely uninhabited.

It is the fifth time in the past 14 years that a famine has

been determined by the IPC - an initiative involving 21 aid

groups, United Nations agencies and regional organizations that

is funded by the European Union, Germany, Britain and Canada.

The IPC has previously assessed that there was famine in

areas of Somalia in 2011, South Sudan in 2017 and 2020, and

Sudan in 2024. The IPC says it does not declare famine, but

instead provides analysis for governments and others to do so.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week found that 65% of

Americans believe the United States should help those starving

in Gaza.

Israel has long counted on the U.S., its most powerful ally, for

military aid and diplomatic support. An erosion of U.S. public

support would be a worrisome sign for Israel as it faces not

only Hamas militants in Gaza but unresolved conflict with Iran,

its regional arch-foe.

The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas

killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250

hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's

military campaign has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians,

according to Gaza health authorities.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to broker an

end to the conflict.