UN warns famine is 'imminent' in northern Gaza as Israeli military operation continues

International hunger experts have said there is "a strong likelihood" that famine is imminent in parts of northern Gaza where Israeli forces are conducting a major military offensive.

The Famine Review Committee called the situation in the north of the Strip "extremely grave and rapidly deteriorating" and said all actors in the war must take immediate action "within days not weeks" to avert a humanitarian disaster.

The statement stressed that this includes not only combatants but also those who have influence on them.

"The alert further underscores that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, as we have just detailed, is extremely grave and rapidly deteriorating. They're calling for immediate action...and this action is required from all who are directly taking part in the conflict or who have influence on its conduct, to avert and to alleviate this catastrophic situation," said Stephanie Tremblay, an Associate Spokesperson for the UN Secretary General.

The Famine Review Committee is part of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, which comprises 15 UN and other organisations that monitor global hunger and food security.

Friday's alert follows a report publish in October from the committee that said Palestinians in the entire territory face acute food insecurity.

The alert blamed recent significant developments, including the impact of Israel’s designation of northern Gaza as a combat zone and orders for the entire population to evacuate.

The IDF launched a renewed offensive in northern Gaza, it says to prevent Hamas units from regrouping there. It issued evacuation orders for people living in the north, advising them to move south to the already overcrowded 'humanitarian zone' in al-Mawasi.

At the beginning of the month, the Biden administration ramped up criticism of Israel for not doing enough to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza as a 13 November deadline loomed for Israeli officials to meet certain requirements or risk potential restrictions on military assistance.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller gave Israel a 'fail' grade in terms of meeting the conditions for an improvement in aid deliveries.

On Friday, Israel informed the US that it plans to open a new aid crossing at Kissufim, to facilitate deliveries into southern Gaza.

But in October, the Knesset passed laws banning the UN’s main agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, from operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Israel has long accused UNRWA of turning a blind eye to Hamas militants among its staff and of allowing the group to use its facilities for military purposes.

UNRWA denies those claims.

That decision sparked wide condemnation from the international community, including from the European Union.

The bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, called the decision "disastrous", saying UNRWA provided "life-saving services."

"The Agency, with its network of warehouses and staff, is the backbone of aid distribution in Gaza. Without it, civilians will lose their last remaining access to food, water, and medicine," he said.

The amount of aid entering Gaza dropped dramatically in October as Israel launched another offensive in the north.

By the end of October, an average of just 71 trucks a day were entering Gaza, according to the latest UN figures. The US said it wants to see 350 trucks per day enter the territory.

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