Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians at ‘risk of famine’

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face the most severe level of food insecurity, a global hunger monitor has warned

Palestinian children collect food donated by charities in Khan Younis, Gaza (EPA)

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face a high risk of famine as long as the war in Gaza continues, a global hunger monitor has warned.

Over 495,000 people, or more than one fifth of Gaza’s population, are facing the most severe, catastrophic level of food insecurity, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said.

The IPC said increased deliveries of food and nutrition services to northern Gaza in March and April appeared to have reduced the severity of hunger in the area, where the UN-backed body had previously projected that famine was likely.

But Israel’s offensive around the southern city of Rafah from early May and other hostilities and displacement have led to a renewed deterioration in recent weeks, it added.

It comes as three separate airstrikes on Gaza City killed 24 Palestinians including the sister of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday morning, according to Palestinian officals.

Palestinians wait for aid trucks to cross in central Gaza Strip in May amid widespread famine in the enclave (AP)

Two of the airstrikes hit two schools in Gaza City, killing at least 14 people. Another strike on a house in the Shati camp killed ten others officials in the Hamas-run Sttrip said.

The house in Shati belonged to the extended family of Hamas political chief Mr Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, killing one of his sisters along with other relatives too, according to medics.

Israel’s military said its forces had targeted militants overnight in Gaza City who had been involved in the planning of attacks on Israel.

The militants included some involved in holding hostages captive and some who had taken part in Hamas brutal attack on 7 October, it added.

The airstrike killed the sister of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and dozens of other Palestinians (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

It also claimed Hamas militants were operating inside school compounds that are used as a shield for its “terrorist activities”.

Hamas denies using civilian facilities such as schools and hospitals for military purposes. The group described the attacks on the two schools and the house in Shati camp as “massacres”.

Israel’s ground and air campaign in Gaza was triggered when Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October and killed around 1,200 people while seizing more than 250 hostages.

The Israeli offensive in retaliation has killed almost 37,600 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, and has left the tiny, densely populated Gaza Strip in ruins.

Since early May, fighting has focused on Rafah, on Gaza’s southern edge abutting the border with Egypt, where around half of the enclave’s 2.3million people have been sheltering after fleeing other areas.