Gaza, MINA – The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, condemned Israel’s denial of famine in Gaza as “the most obscene expression of dehumanization” in a statement on social media platform X on Sunday.
Lazzarini emphasized that “famine is the last calamity hitting the people of Gaza” and described the situation as “hell in all shapes.” His comments came after the UN’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed on Friday that famine has taken hold in northern Gaza and is expected to spread further south by the end of September.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the IPC report as “an outright lie” and “a modern blood libel.” In response, Lazzarini urged the Israeli government to “stop promoting a different narrative, allow humanitarian organizations to provide assistance without restrictions, and permit international journalists to report independently from Gaza.”
Since March 2, Israel has closed all crossings into Gaza, blocking humanitarian aid despite stockpiled aid trucks at the border. Only limited quantities of aid have been allowed in, far insufficient for the needs of Gaza’s 2.4 million population.
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Israel’s military aggression, which began in October 2023, has killed over 62,600 Palestinians and devastated the enclave. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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