Gaza is at 'high risk' of famine despite increased aid to the north: Experts

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip: An influx of aid appears to have eased a hunger crisis in northern Gaza for now, but the entire territory remains at high ri...

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip: An influx of aid appears to have eased a hunger crisis in northern Gaza for now, but the entire territory remains at "high risk” of famine after Israel's offensive in Rafah caused displacement and the disruption of aid operations in the south, a draft report said on Monday.

The report by the leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises said nearly everyone in Gaza is struggling to get enough food and that more than 495,000 people, or greater than a fifth of the population of 2.3 million, are expected to experience the highest level of starvation in the coming months.

That's despite months of U.S. pressure on Israel to do more to facilitate aid efforts, the installation of a $230 million U.S.-built pier that has been beset by problems and repeated airdrops by multiple countries that aid agencies say are insufficient to meet vital needs.

Israel invaded Gaza after Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, in which Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted about 250. The war has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many were civilians or fighters.

Israel imposed a complete siege on the territory at the start of the war and has only gradually eased it under pressure from Washington. The war has destroyed most of Gaza's capacity to produce its own food.