UN Aid Chief Criticizes Israeli Gaza Aid Blockade Amid Famine Risk

United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher has strongly criticized Israel's aid distribution strategy in Gaza, calling it a 'cynical sideshow' that obstructs humanitarian access and prioritizes depopulating Gaza over civilian welfare. Fletcher highlighted that no essential supplies have entered Gaza for over ten weeks, despite established mechanisms to ensure aid reaches civilians and not Hamas. Israel, supported by the US, seeks to implement a new aid distribution system bypassing the UN's longstanding infrastructure, which Fletcher warns limits aid reach and uses starvation as leverage. Meanwhile, a food-security analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that the majority of Gaza's population faces a critical risk of famine in the coming months due to the ongoing blockade since March 2. The UN World Food Programme’s Executive Director, Cindy McCain, echoed concerns of widespread starvation and emphasized the urgent need to resume aid deliveries. Israel disputes the IPC's famine predictions, citing previous inaccurate forecasts and stating that sufficient food stocks exist to meet needs until mid-July.