Netanyahu: IPC report on Gaza famine 'a lie'

2025-08-23 10:34:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

According to the UN, people in parts of the Gaza Strip are suffering from starvation. The UN human rights chief said the starvation in Gaza constitutes a war crime. The Israeli prime minister called the report "a complete lie."

Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the famine observed in parts of northern Gaza is "the direct result of actions taken by the Israeli government."

He added that "the use of starvation as a method of warfare constitutes a war crime."

Türk's statement to journalists came after several international organizations, which use the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) tool for their assessments, stated that there is "reasonable evidence" that parts of the Gaza Strip are suffering from famine.

IPC instrument

The IPC is a joint initiative of several international organizations that provides a standardized framework for assessing and classifying the extent of food insecurity and acute malnutrition.

To officially declare a state of famine according to the IPC classification, three criteria must be met: at least 20% of households face an extreme lack of food, at least 30% of children suffer from acute malnutrition, and two people die directly from hunger every day for every 10,000 people.

Fletcher: Famine could have been prevented

The UN's humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said the famine could have been prevented if the UN had not been prevented from delivering food aid. "If we had been allowed to continue delivering aid, the famine could have been prevented. But now food is stuck at the border because of systematic Israeli obstruction," Fletcher said.

Guterres: This situation cannot continue with impunity

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called conditions in the Gaza Strip a "man-made catastrophe," adding that Israel is obligated under international law to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid. "We cannot allow this situation to continue with impunity," he added.

Netanyahu: IPC classification is a lie

Israel rejected the IPC's assessment of famine in parts of the Gaza Strip, saying the report is based on "methodological errors" and "unreliable sources."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the UN-backed report "a complete lie."

Netanyahu said the IPC report, which found that at least 514,000 people are currently experiencing famine in the Gaza Strip, ignored Israel's humanitarian steps in recent weeks.

"Israel does not pursue a policy of starvation, Israel pursues a policy of preventing starvation," Netanyahu said in a statement./ DW