Overview

• The UN-backed IPC declared famine in the Gaza governorate, estimating more than 500,000 people in catastrophic conditions and warning of spread to Deir al Balah and Khan Yunis by late September.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the IPC finding as a "blatant lie," while Israel’s COGAT called the analysis biased and UN officials said the crisis was preventable.
• Israel approved a plan to seize Gaza City, ordered preparation timelines shortened, mobilized about 60,000 reservists, and told medical and aid groups in the north to move south, with no assault date announced.
• Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Gaza City could face destruction unless Hamas accepts Israeli terms, including the release of all hostages and the group’s disarmament.
• UN and aid leaders condemned the situation as a grave humanitarian emergency, with calls for a ceasefire and legal warnings over the use of hunger as a weapon, as Gaza authorities report more than 62,000 deaths since October 2023.