“Alarmed by today’s IPC report findings that high displacement and restrictions on humanitarian aid flows mean people in Gaza are facing catastrophic levels of hunger,” Guterres stated on X, warning that “famine looms. This is intolerable.”

The UN chief reiterated his urgent call for the immediate opening of Gaza’s border crossings, stressing that "bureaucratic impediments must be removed, and law & order restored" to enable UN agencies to deliver vital humanitarian aid to those in need.

The Israeli genocidal aggression in Gaza, which began on October 7, has killed at least 42,438 Palestinians and injured more than 99,246, according to local health authorities. The aggression has also left around 10,000 people missing, presumed to be trapped under rubble.

In defiance of a legally binding decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that ordered Israel to halt its military actions in Rafah, Israeli forces have continued their operations. The offensive has forced nearly two million Palestinians from their homes, with the majority now displaced in southern Gaza, in what is described as the largest mass exodus of Palestinians since the 1948 Nakba.

Palestinian and international organizations report that the overwhelming majority of those killed and injured are women and children. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening, with food, medical supplies, and other essential goods increasingly scarce, as aid organizations struggle to access the region. (ILKHA)