The UN secretary-general, António Guterres, has declared that Palestinians in Gaza are enduring “a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions”, as a UN-backed monitor confirmed that famine is now unfolding in the territory. Guterres stated that the trickle of aid into Gaza must become “an ocean”, adding that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) famine alert “confirms what we have feared”. “This is not a warning. It is a reality unfolding before our eyes,” he said.
The Gaza health ministry reported on Tuesday that at least 60,034 Palestinians have been killed and 145,870 injured in Israeli attacks since 7 October 2023, with 113 deaths and 637 injuries in the previous 24 hours alone. The IPC alert noted that thousands of children are malnourished and hunger-related deaths among the youngest are rising, emphasising that airdrops will not avert the catastrophe.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told his cabinet that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine in September unless Israel takes substantive steps to end the “appalling situation” in Gaza. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, speaking at a UN conference, said the two-state solution “is in peril”. Oxfam warned that Donald Trump and Starmer “will have failed humanity” if they do not act to stop the famine, while Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, described the famine as “entirely man-made” and called for a massive scale-up of aid.
In related developments, Palestinian activist and journalist Awdah Hathaleen was killed in an attack by Israeli settlers in the south Hebron hills. The European Commission has proposed partially suspending Israel from its Horizon science programme over the humanitarian crisis. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that two aircraft would carry out aid airdrops from Jordan, and France said it would conduct airdrops “in coming days”.
