Statement by the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO)
On the Declaration of Famine in the Gaza Strip According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)

While children, women, and the elderly in Gaza face death by starvation every day, United Nations reports confirm that what is happening is not a natural disaster but a systematic crime that demonstrates a clear intent to commit genocide.

Both the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and the Famine Review Committee have concluded that Israeli occupation forces have caused the famine in Gaza. Causing famine as an act of war constitutes a blatant violation of the entire structure of international law. In the case of Gaza, where starvation has been used by the occupying state as a method of warfare, this represents a clear indicator of genocidal intent.

Amid the Israeli occupation forces’ intensification of bombardment and attacks on the Gaza Strip, along with threats to destroy Gaza City and displace its already displaced population - all while famine claims civilian lives daily - we warn that any invasion or operations aimed at population transfer amounts to a death sentence for tens of thousands. The systematic destruction of food systems, restrictions on the entry of aid, chaos perpetuated through continuous displacement orders, widespread bombardment, cooperation with and arming of gangs that loot aid and prevent its reach to affected populations, and the militarization of humanitarian aid (by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) are all explicit manifestations of genocidal intent.

PNGO confirms that the famine in Gaza has existed since before mid-August 2025 and is a creation of the occupation, which has exploited civilians’ need for food by directing them to what become "death marches" at the sites of the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation."

Through its practices, the Israeli occupation has committed grave violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, targeting objects indispensable to civilian survival (food, water, agriculture), failure to distinguish between civilian and military objects, launching disproportionate attacks, and obstructing humanitarian aid access.

The occupation has also violated International Criminal Law (ICL) by committing the war crime of starvation, the war crime of wilful killing, the war crime of targeting civilians, and (extermination and persecution) as crimes against humanity, along with the crime of genocide.

Furthermore, the occupation has violated International Human Rights Law (IHRL) by violating the right to life and the right to food.

The responsibility of third states regarding the use of famine as a method of warfare is not limited to moral or political dimensions; it is a legal obligation imposing specific duties on states, including:

1. Ensuring compliance with international humanitarian law,
2. Refraining from assisting the occupation in carrying out illegal acts,
3. The duty to prevent and not recognize unlawful situations,
4. The duty to cooperate in ending violations and putting a stop to grave breaches, along with the responsibility to protect.

Accordingly, we demand that states take the following steps:

• Intervene immediately to stop the genocidal war being waged by the Israeli occupation against the Gaza Strip.
• Intervene to provide international protection for the Palestinian people, open all crossings into the Gaza Strip, and ensure safe humanitarian corridors for the entry of aid and medical and relief workers.
• Refer Israeli occupation leaders to the International Criminal Court and relevant national courts on charges of committing genocide and using starvation as a weapon of war.
• Suspend all forms of military, economic, and diplomatic support to the Israeli occupation government and army - particularly from the United States and the European Union - and prevent the passage of weapons shipments through their ports, airports, and territories, given that these weapons are used in widespread human rights violations.
• Urge the UN Security Council to act immediately to impose international sanctions on Israel to stop the aggression and fully lift the siege. If the Council is incapacitated by the veto, we call on the UN General Assembly to suspend Israel’s membership and adopt a "Uniting for Peace" resolution to put an end to unlawful violations, particularly those related to the Genocide Convention.

We also call on the UN Secretary-General to declare the Gaza Strip a famine-stricken area and take necessary measures through all UN organizations to assist the affected.

Furthermore, we call on civil society, trade unions, parliamentarians, public officials, and all free people around the world to:

1. Pressure their governments, elected officials, and companies to ensure they are not complicit in the occupation’s crimes through any form of support.
2. Push for the practical measures mentioned above to hold the Israeli government and all those involved in these grave violations accountable.
3. Raise their voices through collective actions to end the genocide and starvation.
4. Join and implement Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns against complicit companies, entities, and individuals.

*End*