Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Sunday that the situation in Gaza is no longer a looming hunger crisis, but has become a full-scale famine.
Speaking at an emergency session of the UN Security Council, Ramesh Rajasingham, head of OCHA’s office in Geneva, stated that the suffering endured by Palestinians over the past 22 months is deeply painful and that our shared humanity demands an immediate end to this catastrophe.
He warned that Israel’s decision to expand its military operations across Gaza represents a dangerous escalation in a conflict that has already caused unimaginable suffering.
Rajasingham urged Israel to stop arbitrary detentions of Palestinians in the West Bank and to allow humanitarian aid to flow freely into Gaza. He declared that the situation is no longer an imminent hunger crisis, but full-blown famine.
On Friday, Israel’s security cabinet approved a new military plan that begins with the takeover of Gaza City by forcing nearly one million residents to evacuate to the south. The city will then be surrounded and subject to ground incursions. The next stage involves occupying refugee camps in central Gaza, which have already suffered extensive damage during the war.
Rajasingham said Palestinians in Gaza have endured daily killings and injuries for more than 670 days. He also warned that worsening conditions in the West Bank are being overlooked, not because they are less severe, but because the world’s attention is focused elsewhere.
He called on world powers and those with influence to act according to their moral responsibility and stop the suffering.
Miroslav Jenča, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, also addressed the Security Council. He referred to Israeli media reports stating that the government expects all civilians to leave Gaza City by October 7, 2025. This would affect around 800,000 people, many of whom have already been displaced.
According to the same reports, Israel plans to besiege the city for three months, followed by two more months of military operations to take over central Gaza and eliminate armed Palestinian factions.
Jenča warned that if implemented, such plans would cause yet another disaster in Gaza, worsening regional instability and increasing displacement, deaths, and destruction.
He emphasized that all people have the right to life, safety, and freedom, and that Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes.
Jenča reiterated the UN’s position that the only way to end the massive humanitarian crisis is a complete and immediate ceasefire. He also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and urged Israel to respect international humanitarian law, allow large-scale humanitarian access, and protect civilians, including aid workers.
He concluded that there can be no lasting solution without ending the illegal Israeli occupation and achieving a viable two-state solution. Gaza, he said, is and must remain an integral part of a future Palestinian state.
Since March 2, 2025, Israel has kept all Gaza border crossings closed, preventing the entry of humanitarian aid. Although hundreds of aid trucks remain stalled at the borders, only limited amounts of assistance have been allowed in, which fall short of meeting basic needs.
With US backing, Israel has continued its military campaign in Gaza since October 7, 2023, in what many human rights groups have described as a genocidal war. The campaign has included widespread killings, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement.
According to the latest figures, 61,258 Palestinians have been killed, 152,045 have been injured, and more than 9,000 are missing. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and famine has claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.
