THE UNITED Nations has issued its starkest warning yet that Israel’s campaign in Gaza has created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe marked by famine and mass displacement.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said: ‘There is no safe place in Gaza.
‘No one is safe,’ he wrote, stressing that hospitals, schools, shelters, and homes are bombed daily while journalists, healthcare workers, and aid staff are killed at levels unseen in modern conflicts.
‘Hunger threatens everyone in Gaza, either with a slow, silent death or while desperately seeking food.’
The situation is borne out by the United Nations Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, which has confirmed famine in Gaza City and warned that it will soon spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.
UN spokesperson Olga Cherevko said: ‘These findings are not surprising; they are exactly what we have warned about for months. We will face a far worse scenario if the situation is not comprehensively addressed.’
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs added that 1.2 million children now face acute food insecurity.
The UN Security Council echoed these warnings, declaring the famine a ‘man-made crisis’ and demanding an immediate, unconditional ceasefire.
Fourteen members endorsed the statement, with the United States isolated in opposition.
The Council stressed that the use of starvation as a weapon of war is strictly prohibited under international law and warned that more than 41,000 children are at risk of imminent death.
Pope Francis also intervened, calling for the genocide to end. In his weekly address, he said: ‘I issue once again a strong appeal to bring an end to the conflict in the Holy Land that has caused so much terror, destruction, and death.’
Since Israel imposed a total closure of Gaza’s crossings on 2 March, only a negligible number of aid trucks have been allowed in.
This deliberate blockade has driven the territory towards famine, which has already killed at least 313 people, including 119 children.
Official estimates now put the total number of Palestinians killed and injured at over 62,895, with more than 9,000 missing and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Despite repeated calls for restraint from international bodies, Israel continues to escalate its assault with the backing of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other European powers.
Lazzarini concluded: ‘Nothing justifies these grave attacks on the lives and identity of Palestinians. It is time for action, courage, and political will to end this hell on Earth.’
