Israel rejects IPC report on Gaza famine as ‘biased’
The Israeli authority responsible for affairs in the Palestinian Territories, COGAT, has said it “categorically rejects” a UN-backed report confirming for the first time that famine is occurring in an area of the Gaza Strip.
In a report released on Friday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said it has “reasonable evidence” that famine has been occurring in Gaza Governorate, an administrative region which includes Gaza City, since August 15.
COGAT responded to the report in a post on X: “Previous reports and assessments by the IPC have repeatedly been proven inaccurate and do not reflect the reality on the ground.”
Head of COGAT, Ghassan Allian, said: “The IPC report is based on partial and unreliable sources, many of them affiliated with Hamas, and blatantly ignores the facts and the extensive humanitarian efforts led by the State of Israel and its international partners.”
“Instead of providing a professional, neutral, and responsible assessment, the report adopts a biased approach riddled with severe methodological flaws, thereby undermining its credibility and the trust the international community is able to place in it,” he was quoted as saying.
The classification comes as Israeli troops are advancing on Gaza City after the government approved plans to capture the metropolis of some 1 million in a bid to destroy the remainders of the Palestinian extremist group Hamas.
The new offensive has sparked fears of further suffering for the civilian population, which has been largely lacking access to basic necessities including food since Israel imposed a near-total aid blockade on the territory earlier this year. Last month, Israel partially lifted its blockade, allowing limited amounts of aid to trickle into the Gaza Strip.
