Israel’s foreign minister has accused Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of making false claims after Albanese asserted that Israel was violating international law by blocking aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called Albanese’s comments “a lie” during a press event in Jerusalem, insisting that Israel is not restricting humanitarian aid. “It’s not just untrue — the opposite is true,” he said, echoing Prime Minister Netanyahu’s stance that starvation is not occurring in Gaza.
These remarks come amid growing global concern over the humanitarian crisis in the region. On Tuesday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global hunger monitoring body, issued an urgent warning that the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” in Gaza. Although the alert stopped short of a formal famine declaration, the IPC stated that it would now begin an expedited analysis to assess the situation.
The IPC noted increasing deaths from hunger, malnutrition, and disease, stressing that immediate action is needed to halt hostilities and allow large-scale humanitarian access.
The 22-month-long war between Israel and Hamas has devastated the Gaza Strip. While Israel announced plans to pause military operations for 10 hours daily in select areas to allow aid delivery, tight border controls remain in place. Sa’ar claimed over 200 trucks entered Gaza recently and emphasized that multiple aid routes are being used, including air drops.
However, humanitarian groups and the UN argue that current aid levels are far from sufficient. The IPC said that in May, only 19,900 tonnes of food reached Gaza, with 37,800 tonnes delivered in June—far short of the 62,000 tonnes needed monthly.
The IPC also criticized the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), arguing that much of its food aid requires cooking, but fuel and clean water remain scarce. The Famine Review Committee added that GHF’s distribution model could lead to widespread starvation. GHF claims otherwise, stating it has delivered over 96 million meals without aid being stolen by Hamas, a charge the group denies.
David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, warned that waiting for a formal famine declaration could be too late. “In Somalia in 2011, by the time famine was declared, 250,000 had already died,” he said.
Meanwhile, IPC’s last analysis projected that nearly all 2.1 million residents in Gaza would face severe food insecurity by the end of September, with almost half a million expected to endure “catastrophic” conditions. The current alert underscores that conditions have only worsened since.
The conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel, has resulted in nearly 60,000 Palestinian deaths, according to health authorities in Gaza.
As international pressure mounts and aid efforts remain mired in logistical and political hurdles, the humanitarian toll in Gaza continues to escalate—with starvation, displacement, and suffering affecting nearly every part of the territory.
