Saudi Arabia has expressed its deep concern over the UN’s declaration of a famine in Gaza, the first in the Middle East.
UN experts said around 500,000 people in the enclave obliterated by Israel were facing ‘catastrophic’ hunger.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Foreign Ministry, Riyadh also condemned the ‘genocidal crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against defenceless civilians’ in Gaza.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said this was entirely preventable and that food could not get through to the Palestinian territory ‘because of systematic obstruction by Israel.’
The kingdom decried the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which it said was a direct result ‘of the absence of mechanisms to deter and hold accountable the repeated crimes of the Israeli occupation’.
Saudi Arabia said this would ‘remain a stain’ on the international community, particularly the permanent members of the UN Security Council, unless work was carried out to immediately end the famine and halt the war of ‘genocide and crimes’ by Israel against Palestinians.
Palestinians sheltering in tents or seeking scarce food aid were among at least 25 people killed by Israeli strikes and shootings yesterday in Gaza, according to local hospitals
The famine determination by the world’s leading authority on food crises galvanised governments and aid groups to intensify pleas for Israel to halt its 22-month offensive on Gaza. Aid groups have warned for months that the war and Israel’s restrictions of food into Gaza are causing starvation among civilians.
Israel denounced the famine declaration as lies and the military is pressing ahead with preparations to seize Gaza City. Efforts toward a ceasefire that could forestall the offensive are on hold as mediators await Israel’s next steps.
Israeli strikes killed at least 14 people in the southern Gaza Strip early yesterday, according to morgue records and health officials at Nasser Hospital. The officials said the strikes targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, which became home to hundreds of thousands who had fled from elsewhere in Gaza. More than half of the dead were women and children.
The United Nations on Friday officially declared a famine in Gaza, the first in the Middle East, with its experts saying 500,000 people were facing ‘catastrophic’ hunger.
“We are looking into credible reports that the IPC recently changed its definition for what constitutes a famine,” a State Department spokesperson said, referring to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC), which is a coalition of monitors tasked by the UN to warn of impending crises.
Few journalists reported chaos and security problems on roads leading to aid delivery points, and there have been reports of Israeli troops firing toward aid-seekers. Israel’s military says they fire warning shots if individuals approach the troops or pose a threat to soldiers.
The IPC said nearly half a million people in Gaza, about one-fourth of the population, face catastrophic hunger that leaves many at risk of dying. It said hunger has been magnified by widespread displacement and the collapse of food production.
Netanyahu’s office denounced the IPC report as ‘an outright lie’, and accuses Hamas of starving the hostages. Israel says it has allowed enough aid to enter during the war.
With ground troops already active on the edges of Gaza City, a wide-scale operation there could start within days.
Aid group Doctors without Borders, or MSF, said yesterday its clinics around Gaza City are seeing high numbers of patients as people flee recent bombardments. The group said in a statement that “strikes are forcing people, including MSF staff, to flee their homes once again, and we are seeing displacement across Gaza City.”
The Israeli military has said troops are operating on the outskirts of Gaza City and in the city’s Zeitoun neighbourhood.
Israel says Gaza City is still a Hamas stronghold, with a network of fighters’ tunnels. The city also is home to hundreds of thousands of civilians, some of whom have fled from elsewhere.
Many Israelis fear the assault on Gaza City could doom the roughly 20 hostages who have survived captivity since 2023.
Netanyahu said on Thursday he had instructed officials to begin immediate negotiations to release hostages and end the war on Israel’s terms. It is unclear if Israel will return to long-running talks mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar after Hamas said earlier this week that it accepted a new proposal from the Arab mediators.
The US State Department said that it was looking into a recent report in which the UN declared a famine in Gaza.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is a serious concern. We are diligently working to find ways to deliver aid to innocent people in an active warzone where there is a serious looting problem, a hostage crisis, and a barbaric organisation that will do anything to stay in power,” a State Department spokesperson said.
President Donald Trump has said one of his main foreign policy goals is to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
The State Department official said the US remained focused on ending the conflict in Gaza, ensuring Hamas never again governs Gaza, and ensuring the delivery of critically needed humanitarian aid to Gazans.
“President Trump and Secretary Rubio have prioritised getting aid to the people in need while implementing safeguards to prevent Hamas from stealing and looting the assistance,” the spokesperson said.
According to the State Department, citing the UN, from May to August, nearly 57,000 pallets of food, 4,083 trucks, and over 50,000 tonnes of food were looted in Gaza.
“Food is going into Gaza but is not getting to the people who need it,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added, “The US government is focused on getting aid delivered to the people of Gaza. Addressing these challenging issues means honestly addressing problems for the sake of Gazans, who deserve better, not engaging in semantics.”
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