Overview

• UN-backed IPC confirms famine in the Gaza district that includes Gaza City, citing catastrophic hunger and warning of rising deaths.
• The assessment identifies 132,000 children under five at risk of starvation and marks the first officially declared famine in the Middle East under the IPC system.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu says the first phase of the Gaza City operation is underway and orders negotiations for a hostage deal to proceed in parallel.
• Israel mobilizes about 60,000 additional reservists, issues evacuation warnings, and rejects the IPC findings as false, with Netanjahu calling the report a lie.
• Hamas says it accepted a mediator-backed 60‑day ceasefire-for-hostages plan, while Israel has not formally responded as UN and aid agencies demand an immediate ceasefire and unfettered aid access.