Translated with AI
A state of catastrophic famine has been recorded in the Gaza Strip for the first time, according to a joint statement from UN humanitarian agencies and international organizations.
According to the report, more than 500,000 residents of the enclave have found themselves in conditions of critical malnutrition and extreme poverty. UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher emphasized at a briefing in Geneva that "this situation could have been averted if humanitarian organizations had been able to continue delivering food and essential supplies."
"This is starvation just a few hundred meters from fertile land where there are food sources," Fletcher noted.
In this regard, he called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately cease hostilities and open all checkpoints in the north and south of the region to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian aid.
On August 20, the Jerusalem Post , citing IDF General Effie Defrin, reported the IDF's ground offensive into Gaza had begun and the city's outskirts had been established. The following day, Netanyahu announced that the military operation would end once full control of the Palestinian enclave had been established.
Earlier, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Lacson criticized the actions of the Israeli leadership, saying that Netanyahu had "crossed all boundaries and lost his mind."
