World Food Programme: Famine in Gaza is worsening and residents are not receiving food and medicine.

The head of the United Nations World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, warned of the worsening famine in the Gaza Strip, noting that the population is not receiving enough food. She emphasized that the humanitarian crisis is escalating with the ongoing war and blockade imposed on the area.

McCain, who visited the region this week, met with mothers and children suffering from severe hunger, stressing that famine is real and ongoing. She explained that the largest city in the area is already experiencing famine, and the risk of it spreading to other regions is likely unless a ceasefire is reached and restrictions on humanitarian aid are lifted.

In a related context, McCain discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the urgent need to introduce more humanitarian aid. Netanyahu expressed concern over the food shortage, despite his previous denial of the existence of famine, considering it propaganda from Hamas.

McCain also stressed the necessity of doubling efforts to bring in more humanitarian aid, pointing out that access and security for aid convoys are critically important. This warning comes after the international body concerned with food crises announced that Gaza has entered a phase of famine, increasing international pressure on the occupying state.

However, Tel Aviv rejected the announcement from the body and officially requested its retraction, as the Israeli military authority responsible for transporting aid stated that more than 300 humanitarian aid trucks enter the region daily. Nevertheless, relief organizations confirm that these amounts are insufficient given 22 months of genocidal war and the collapse of local food production systems.

In a related context, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the extermination of the population of the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the need to cut off water, electricity, and food to the area. These statements reflect a dangerous escalation in Israeli rhetoric towards Palestinians.

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, described the situation in Gaza as "the catastrophe of the present," warning that the expansion of Israeli military operations would constitute a new and dangerous phase. He also noted that the area is filled with rubble and corpses, constituting serious violations of international law.

Since October 7, 2023, the occupying state has committed genocide in Gaza, resulting in 62,966 martyrs and 159,266 injured, most of whom are children and women, in addition to more than 9,000 missing and hundreds of thousands displaced.