Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on Friday, August 22, voiced deep concern following the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report confirming famine in the Gaza Strip, condemning what it described as genocide committed by Israeli forces against civilians.
In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is “a direct result of the absence of mechanisms to deter and hold accountable the repeated crimes of the Israeli occupation.”
It warned that such crimes “will remain a stain on the brow of the international community, especially the permanent members of the Security Council, unless swift action is taken to end the famine and stop the war of extermination against the Palestinian people.”
Earlier on Friday, the IPC, a global hunger monitor, confirmed that famine has already struck northern Gaza and will likely spread further within weeks.
According to its findings, about 514,000 people—nearly a quarter of the enclave’s population—are facing famine, with numbers expected to rise to 641,000 by the end of September. Roughly 280,000 of those affected live in Gaza City and its surroundings, while the rest are concentrated in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, areas predicted to slip into famine conditions by next month.
The announcement by the International Hunger Watch comes as Israel prepares a large-scale military operation to occupy Gaza City, a move that threatens to worsen the humanitarian disaster and push the situation beyond control.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 269 people, including 112 children, have already died of starvation.
Since March, Israel has tightened restrictions on aid and, from May, channelled limited supplies through the so-called “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).” Deadly incidents around distribution points have left thousands dead and injured.
