Israel Denounces UN-Backed Gaza Famine Report as Politically Motivated and Demands Its Withdrawal

Israel Denounces UN-Backed Gaza Famine Report as Politically Motivated and Demands Its Withdrawal

Israel swiftly rejected a recent United Nations-backed report that declared famine is occurring in Gaza, asserting that the document is riddled with serious inaccuracies. A senior official from the Israeli Foreign Ministry indicated that the government intends to lobby donor countries to cut funding for the reporting body unless it retracts its findings.

Details of the Controversial Report

On August 22, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) asserted that a famine is already taking place in the Gaza Governorate and warned of a potential spread to other areas such as Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September. The report highlighted that approximately one-third of Gaza’s population, estimated at around 2 million, could soon face severe starvation, amounting to roughly 641,000 people.

The IPC further projected dire outcomes for children, estimating that 132,000 kids under five years old are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition through 2026, with over 41,000 cases classified as severe. Additionally, it pointed out that more than 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women require immediate nutritional support.

Root Causes Identified

The IPC attributed the famine conditions to nearly two years of ongoing conflict, which has displaced 1.9 million individuals, led to the collapse of local food production, and resulted in stringent restrictions on humanitarian aid. A critical aspect of the report emphasized that, despite food entering Gaza, a significant portion of it fails to reach those in need.

Israeli Government’s Response

In a vehement rejection of the IPC’s findings, Eden Bar Tal, the Director General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, accused the organization of fabricating evidence and manipulating data to declare famine. He claimed the IPC inflated figures by inventing 182 deaths that are necessary to meet the famine threshold of 188 deaths.

Bar Tal also criticized the IPC for allegedly breaching its own procedural standards regarding malnutrition metrics. He contended that the report cherry-picked data from surveys, suggesting that only a fraction of the children surveyed were counted in the total, thereby skewing the results to reflect famine conditions.

According to Bar Tal, the IPC report serves political agendas rather than scientific integrity. He stated that the report was fabricated with the aim of supporting Hamas’s alleged campaign of starvation against the Israeli population.

Formal Demands and Concerns

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has formally demanded the withdrawal of the IPC report and warned that failure to retract the document would compel Israel to advocate for donor nations to freeze funding to the IPC until its credibility is restored. Moreover, the government circulated a presentation titled The IPC Fraud, which critiqued the report’s methodology and conclusions. One highlighted assertion from the presentation declared, The facts are clear: The IPC report is forged.

Efforts to obtain comments from the IPC by Fox News Digital were unsuccessful.

International Reactions

During a Security Council meeting, Dorothy Shea, the acting U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, addressed the report’s validity. While acknowledging that hunger is a significant concern for the U.S., she raised issues regarding the credibility of the IPC report. Shea pointed out that one of the key authors has a history of bias against Israel, stating that this could explain the modifications in standard procedures surrounding the report’s declaration.

UN Defends Its Findings

In response to inquiries, Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-General, defended the IPC’s process and the accuracy of the data presented. Dujarric described the analysis as robust, scientific, and technical. He reiterated that the IPC’s famine assessments utilize a recognized measurement system, which underwent thorough review by an independent expert group affirming the existence of famine in Gaza.

He noted that the IPC relied on verified data streams from various U.N. agencies, including WHO, UNICEF, UNRWA, and WFP, while also incorporating information from the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.

Addressing whether Hamas’s diversion of aid was a factor, Dujarric acknowledged that the report pointed out the significant challenges humanitarian organizations face in distributing aid effectively.

The Current Humanitarian Situation

On Thursday, Antonio Guterres, the U.N. Secretary-General, asserted that famine is not merely a distant possibility but a current catastrophe affecting the population. He reported that individuals are suffering from hunger, with families being torn apart by persistent displacement and desperation.

As the situation continues to evolve, both international observers and local leaders call for measured responses that prioritize the humanitarian needs of the affected populations in Gaza while addressing the underlying political issues contributing to the crisis.